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Thu 3rd Oct 2019
Girls Behaving Badly: Jane Austen’s Wicked Women
Some Austen scholars consider that Jane Austen is much more subversive than is generally supposed. In this lecture, Annalie Talent considers how far Austen rebels against expected codes of behaviour for women in her lifetime, with reference to her life and work. The Lecturer: Annalie Talent BA Annalie Talent has worked at several museums and writers’ houses, including Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton (where she currently works as Learning Officer), Dove Cottage and the Wordsworth Museum in Grasmere, and the Ashmolean…
Find out more »Thu 7th Nov 2019
Velázquez – ‘The Great Magician of Art’
Velázquez(1599-1660) was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of spain, noted for his portraits, of the spanish royal family and others, culminating in the production of his masterpiece Las Meninas in 1656. This Lecture considers the way in which the artist raises questions about reality and illusion, via complex and enigmatic composition. The Lecturer: Douglas Skeggs Douglas Skeggs read Fine Art at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He is…
Find out more »Thu 5th Dec 2019
The Origins of our English Christmas
The origins of our English Christmas lie in distant European history, combining the pagan traditions of the Roman and Scandinavian winter festivals. In the 4thC AD the Christian Church began to celebrate the birth of Christ, and pagan and religious traditions blended, changing with the social and political landscape. This lecture explores the resultant rich tapestry of music, art and folk customs which interweave to create the festival that most touches everyone in our society. Roger Askew MA BMus…
Find out more »Thu 9th Jan 2020
Rebuilding Ypres
Ypres is an ancient town, known to have been raided by the Romans in 1stC BC. During WW1, the town was all but obliterated by artillery fire and, in 1920, awarded the Military Cross by King George V. After the war the town was extensively rebuilt with the main square, including the Cloth Hall and town hall, being rebuilt as close to the original designs as possible. This lecture tells the story of that rebuilding. Chanter Christopher Architectural Historian…
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