Owen Jones - The Victorian era's forgotten artistic giant

6 Sep 2021

Location:

Online (Zoom)

Arts Scholar Alan Freeland, known to members for his Silk Road themed tours of the V&A, will talk to us about one of the lesser-known British designers of the nineteenth-century, Owen Jones (1809-1874). An architect, illustrator and author of the seminal 'The Grammar of Ornament', he lived in the shadow of his more famous contemporary Ruskin. Alan will explore with us Jones's very different views on architecture and design, and his championing of the use of a strong colour pallet in architectural decoration.

Georgian Gems and Jewels: A window onto a forgotten world

4 Oct 2021

Location:

Online (Zoom)

Arts Scholar John Benjamin’s talk on 18th Century Jewellery will look at many of the key inspirations of this beautiful - and often misunderstood - period of jewellery design, so very different from much of the repetitive, perfectly proportioned generic jewels sold today.

Arts Scholars Tour - Fabergé Exhibition at V&A

1 Dec 2021

Location:

V&A Museum, Exhibition Road, SW7 2RL

The Arts Scholars have secured privileged access with an early preview for members to 'Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution’ at the V&A, an exhibition dedicated to the legendary St Petersburg jewellers. Thanks to a rich variety of loans from prominent institutions and private collections, members have a unique opportunity to view objects by the House of Fabergé illustrating the firm’s meteoric rise from conventional jeweller to legendary purveyor of Imperial eggs.

N.B. Registration opens on 1st Oct 21

J.M.W. Turner: Painter Turned Architect

6 Dec 2021

Location:

Online (Zoom)

J.M.W. Turner is renowned for his art but less known for his profound interest in architecture. Going someway to redress the balance, Arts Scholar Mary Rose Rivett-Carnac will recount how Turner designed his own rural retreat called Sandycombe Lodge, an architectural gem near the River Thames. The lecture explores Turner’s longstanding interest in architecture as revealed in his paintings, the story behind Sandycombe Lodge and the unexpected findings made during its rescue, after suffering decades of neglect, and before re-opening to the public in 2017.

Setting Europe ablaze: A talk on the Special Operations Executive

5 Jan 2022

Location:

St Stephen's Church, Walbrook

Arts Scholar Francelle Bradford White BEM will describe how, in June 1940, a new volunteer force, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), was set up to wage a secret war in occupied Europe and, later, the Far East. Its agents were mainly tasked with sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines. They had an influential supporter in Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who famously ordered them to 'set Europe ablaze!'. As she will reveal, Francelle has a very personal connection with 'Churchill's Secret Army' as the SOE became known.

International Visit: Romania (Transylvania)

18 Jun 2022

Location:

Transylvania

A 7 night 8 day visit, including Suceava, Sighisoara and Brasov 18th-25th June 2022