top of page

STUDY DAYS 2023-24

Members are welcome to invite guests for an additional charge.  Where demand exceeds places, however, Members will continue to have priority.

Our study days offer a more in depth examination of a particular topic.

Full days begin at 10:00am for a 10:30am start and finish at 3.30pm.  Half day sessions run for approximately two and a half hours morning or afternoon.

Refreshments will be provided.

An extra fee is charged to cover the cost of the Study Day.

9.png

WILDE ABOUT OSCAR

The Extraordinary Life and Times of Oscar Wilde

with Simon Whitehouse

Friday 24th November 2023

Study Day - 10 am - 3.15 pm

This study day explores the life and times of Oscar Wilde, from his Irish roots to his Oxford days and his meteoric rise to celebrity. We travel with him to the United States and return to examine  his starring role within the artistic and theatrical worlds of late nineteenth century London. We visit him at home in Bohemian Chelsea and look at some of his West End haunts. Finally we will learn how Wilde became famous for being infamous.

first-day-of-spring-march-2011.jpg

THE ART OF CORNWALL

with Sarah Burles

Thursday 1st February 2024

Half Day - 10 am - 12.30 pm

An exploration of the art of Cornwall.

The beauty of the countryside, the drama of the sea and the clarity of the light attracted a succession of artists to the Cornish fishing towns of Newlyn, Lamorna and St Ives in the late 19th and 20th centuries.


The painters of the Newlyn School were led by Stanhope Forbes; they adhered to the principle of painting en plein air and found subject matter amongst the local fishermen and their families. In the 20th century, St Ives became a focus for leading avant-garde artists such as Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo and Barbara Hepworth, as well as Patrick Heron, Roger Hilton and Peter Lanyon.

Study Days: Get Involved

STUDY DAYS 2022 - 23

Members are welcome to invite guests for an additional charge.  Where demand exceeds places, however, Members will continue to have priority.

Our study days offer a more in depth examination of a particular topic.

Full days begin at 10:00am for a 10:30am start and finish at 3.30pm.  Half day sessions run for approximately two and a half hours morning or afternoon.

Refreshments will be provided.

An extra fee is charged to cover the cost of the Study Day.

5.png

WE HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED...FROM MONOCHROME TO POLYCHROME - HOW COLOUR TRANSFORMED THE ART OF GARDEN DESIGN.

Thursday 23rd June 2022
Study Morning: 10.00 am - 12.30 pm

Timothy Walker is a well-known and highly thought of figure in the gardening world. He currently teaches Biology at Somerville College in Oxford and was formerly Director at the Oxford Botanical Gardens and Harcourt Arboretum. He is an excellent presenter and we are looking forward to a very interesting Study Day.

Botanic gardens are often described as living museums. Garden curators lecture about them in the same way as museum curators talk about their collections. Gardens are often thought of as a place where science and art meet on equal terms. During this Study Day, Timothy investigated this relationship.


The lens through which the study day focused was the 400-year-old Oxford Botanic Gardens as well as gardens created by Timothy and his wife. Included in his talk were examples of gardens from around Britain and other parts of the world.

a821f9cf-24b0-4a73-8091-43311c2b799c-1920w.jpg

WE HOPED THAT YOU ENJOYED...BUDDHISM AND BUDDHIST ART

Tuesday 22nd November 2022

This study day focused on how to appreciate the Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist art of the Himalayas and Tibet. The lecture acted as an introduction to Buddhism and the transmission of Buddhist art and architecture into the Himalayas. It also focussed on the rich symbolism of Tibetan art and explained how to interpret the common images, themes and motifs. The final part of the day explored the vibrant culture of this fascinating part of the world.

Zara Fleming is an independent art consultant, lecturer, tour guide and exhibition curator with specialist knowledge of Buddhist art; focusing on the art and culture of Tibet and the Himalayas. 

Thomas_Gainsborough_Lady_Georgiana_Cavendish.jpg

PASSIONS, PERSONALITIES AND PATRONAGE - CHATSWORTH AND THE STORY OF THE DEVONSHIRE FAMILY COLLECTION

Tuesday 7th February 2023

Study Day - 10.00 am - 3.15 pm

The lecture is a chronological history of the Devonshire collections through the interests of the family through the generations. Each generation left their mark on the collections which led to one of the finest collections in Europe. Artists include Rembrandt, Reynolds, Canova and Freud and items include drawings, fine books, silver, jewels, portraits and modern sculpture.

Simon Seligman studied art and architecture at the University of Warwick and worked at Chatsworth from 1991 to 2010 including being Director of Communications. He has lectured throughout the United Kingdom and the United States on the Devonshire Collections and gave presentations and interviews with Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire. Simon works for the Guild of St George (John Ruskin’s Charity) and is a trustee of three arts festivals and a life coach in private practice.

Study Days: Get Involved
bottom of page