PROGRAMME Membership year 2021/22 Waiting list members and guests will be welcome to attend meetings for a £10 fee, provided they give prior notification to the Membership Secretary on 01572 747091 or drtonyb@icloud.com. Friday 17th December 2021 on Zoom 10:50 The Christmas Story in Medieval Art Sally Dormer It was during the Middle Ages that many of the familiar elements of the Christmas story were devised and popularised: including the stable with the ox and ass. What were the sources for these images? This lecture, illustrated by pictures of illuminated manuscripts, church portals, liturgical vestments, stained glass windows and goldsmiths’ work, will tell the stories surrounding Christ’s birth and investigate their often surprising sources. Friday 21st January 2022 George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: the handsomest man in 17th century Europe Lucy Hughes-Hallett George Villiers was the favourite of King James I, chief minister to King Charles I, and assassinated at the age of 35. He was a beauty, enjoyed exquisite clothes and was a discerning patron and collector of great paintings. We will look at the masterpieces he owned and at the portraits of himself he commissioned from painters including Van Honthorst, Van Dyck and Rubens – images by great artists of a man known as ‘the handsomestbodied man in Europe’. Peter Paul Rubens - The triumph of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. Friday 18th February 2022 Rescuing Zeugma from the flood waters of the Euphrates Louise Schofield In spring 2000 an archaeological drama began to unfold on the banks of the Euphrates river in Turkey. Archaeologists found a Roman city with mosaics and wall-paintings finer than those of Pompeii. However, just beside them was the almost-completed Birecik Dam, and the Turks had begun to flood the great reservoir behind it, taking the city under water. This lecture tells the story of the extraordinary emergency rescue excavation and the fabulous treasures it uncovered. Gaziantep Zeugma Museum Eros and Psyche mosaic. Dosseman Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 Friday 18th March 2022 The Great Velázquez at Court in Madrid Jacqueline Cockburn When Velázquez moved to Madrid to work for Philip IV his life changed and so did his art. We look at his relationship with the troubled king, at the numerous portraits he did of him, and at his development as a great artist. We meet the courtiers, dwarves, children, ladies in waiting and bodyguards of the royal court and finally discuss the celebrated Las Meninas, with its extraordinary understanding of perspective and fabulous use of paint. Velazquez-taller-infanta margarita. Taller de Velázquez Public domain Friday 22nd April 2022 (4th Friday of the month) Faber & Faber - 90 years of excellence Toby Faber Faber & Faber is the last of the great publishing houses to remain independent. The grandson of the founder will recount the history of the firm through its illustrations, covers and designs, and its association with celebrated artists and literary figures including TS Eliot. A unique personal and anecdotal insight into a valued cultural institution. Friday 20th May 2022 The Overshadowed Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe Have you had this experience? You go to a gallery and are stopped dead by a wonderful picture but you have never heard of the artist. This lecture will consider some of the reasons for a good artist’s obscurity, from the brevity of his life to the misfortune of his being born and working in the shadow of a larger reputation, such as Leonardo or Rembrandt. But above all it is an excuse to spend an hour gazing at beautiful paintings and finding hidden treasures. Friday 17th June 2022 The Golden Age of British Landscape painting: 1750 to 1850 Susan Owens We look at the great era of British landscape painting, from its origins in the Arcadian views and picturesque scenes of 18th-century artists Richard Wilson and Thomas Gainsborough, through John Constable’s sparklingly fresh observations of nature, to dramatic paintings by JMW Turner and intensely detailed studies by members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Andrews -Thomas Gainsborough Disclaimer: The Arts Society Oundle cannot be held responsible for any personal accident, damage to, or loss or theft of members’ personal property unless there is proven negligence. Legal liability insurance is in force.