Finding your inner connoisseur

Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe

Wednesday 27th May 2026 Mickleham Village Hall

Doors Open 9.45am 

First Lecture 10.15am  Cost £40

How do art dealers, auctioneers and museum staff determine whether a piece is by one painter or another? What role does the signature play and what are the key clues to look for when deciding who painted the picture?   Chantal will guide us through three sessions exploring the clues, weighing up their relative usefulness and learn some of the tricks of the connoisseur.

Chantal has in MA in the History of Art from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from the Warburg Institute, London University. She has lectured at the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection.

Lecture 1 Looking with Eyes Wide Open

We can stand for a minute in front of a painting and think we are seeing it, but how much have we actually noticed? Chantal will consider many of the stylistic features of a painting and analyse how different artists tend to use them at different times.

Coffee & biscuits

 Lecture 2 Family Likenesses, significant characteristics

Instant recognition of the artist’s hand is the goal of a connoisseur, but how can a novice start to do this? Chantal will unpick some of the ways an artist can give away their identity.

 Lunch with wine/soft drink

Lecture 3 Practice finding your own inner connoisseur

Looking at a specific group of artists – you will get a chance to try out your budding connoisseurly skills of recognition!

Finish time 3.30pm approx

Image © Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe

Mickleham Village Hall

The day will focus on the transformation of Istanbul from its conquest by Sultan Mehmet II through to its Golden Age under Suleyman the Magnificent and beyond. 

Lecture 1 in the morning will focus on the conquest of Constantinople and the making of Istanbul.

Coffee break

Lecture 2 Treasures of Ottoman Istanbul: Suleyman the Magnificent's era and beyond. 

Lunch with wine

Lecture 3 'Carnations, tulips and hyacinths': the story of Turkey's Iznik ceramics.  

Antonia Cevizli is an independent art historian specialising in both Italian renaissance art and Ottoman art.

Image © metmuseum.org/art/collection

The day will explore the Baroque age in Britain c1660-1720. The Baroque has its origins in Counter-Reformation Italy, and was intended to inspire religious passion through a glorious elevation of the senses. By the time it spread to Britain in the 17th century, the Baroque style had been adapted to secular use by monarchs and wealthy patrons. Painting, sculptures, tapestries, wood-carvings and furnishings in exuberant designs and rich materials were brough together in a riot of colours and textures. Our day will visit court and country to look at some of the greatest works of arts and architecture of the British Baroque and meet the people responsible for them.

Lecture 1 - Royal Baroque

From its origins in the Catholic Counter-Reformation the Baroque style was closely associated with power and spectacle. At the Restoration court Charles II drew on continental precedent to fill his palaces with luxurious paintings and furnishings. In our first lecture we will look at the artists and craftsmen who helped the Stuart monarchs to re-establish a magnificent monarchy following the austerity and uncertainty of the Civil Wars and interregnum.

Lecture 2 - The Baroque Country House

While the court set artistic fasion, many nobles were also keen to establish their own status as patrons of the arts and many of Britain's best-loved country houses were built or refurbished in the 'Baroque' period. We will visit the most iconic houses of the age including Chatsworth, Petworth and Blenheim. We will meet the people who created them and take in some of the highlights of their sumptuous interiors, gardens and art collections.  

Lecture 3 - Queens, consorts and courtiers: female art patrons in Baroque Britain

What was the role of women in British Baroque art? In an era when married women's property automatically belonged to their husbands could women still be patrons? Female patronage has often been hidden within the historical records, but new research has shown that patronage of these women has been considerably underestimated. From Queen Catherine of Braganza' s patronage of Catholic artists to the Duchess of Marlborough's politically charged London mansion we will look at some of the most important works of art and architecture commissioned by women and consider how they used art to carve out their positions in Society.

Dr Amy Lim is an arts historian and curator, specialising in British fine and decorative arts from the 17th to 20th centuries. She is a curator of the Faringdon Collection at Buscot Park, Oxfordshire and of the Stanley Spencer Gallery, Cookham. She is also an exhibition researcher at the Tate, contributing to British Baroque: Power and Illusion (2020) and Now you see Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920 which was held in 2024. Amy has a degree in History and Literature & Arts from the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. She runs an online art dealership and has published articles and essays on a variety of art-related topics from gothic garden monuments to female patronage.

Image: James Duke of York by Henri Gascar 1672-73 (Royal Museums Greenwich)  © Wikimedia Commons  

Synopsis 

Part One: From Convent to Concrete

Covent Garden has been a popular destination for more than 1500 years. The first lecture traces the story of the area's development, from its origins as a thriving Saxon port to Indigo Jones' revolutionary plan for a 'piazza' and how the world-famous fruit and vegetable market was nearly 'brutally' demolished in the 1970's.

Part Two: Hogarth & Harlots

In the early 1700s, Covent Garden became infamous as the 'Square of Venus'.  Our second lecture will take a deeper dive into the demi monde world of the Georgian vice industry memorably depicted by Hogarth & other artists. We meet some extraordinary (and enterprising!) characters and open the pages of Harris's infamous list of "Covent Garden Ladies".

Part Three: Punch, Pygmalion & Puccini

In our 'finale' lecture. we raise the curtain on Covent Garden as a place of entertainment. We examine the birth of the West End with two royal theatres that thrive today and see how the piazza itself has attracted street performers for centuries.  We also meet some of the famous (and often forgotten) stars who have graced the stages of London's famed 'theatreland'.

Simon Whitehouse is a (recovering) actor, lecturer, presenter, Alexander Technique and voice teacher and award winning London Blue Badge guide. He has worked as an in-house guide lecturer at Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Opera House, the BBC and the National Gallery guiding both public and private tours. He is on the faculty of Ithaca College and also lectures for the Blue Badge Guide training course on the performing arts and English literature.  Simon's specialisms and passions are theatre, literature, fashion and art history but whatever the subject, Simon will weave a wonderful story from it.

Image Tate Britain licensed for non-commercial use under the Creative Commons Agreement:(for research, private study, or internal circulation within an educational organisation)

Ian Gledhill has had a varied career from designing under-ground railways as an engineer for London Transport, to appearing in pantomime with Julian Clary. In between he has worked in travel and tourism, music publishing, television and especially the theatre, where he has been an actor, director, set designer, stage manager and opera translator. His main interests include architecture, history, transport and classical music, especially opera and operetta. These these are reflected in the wide-ranging list of subjects for his lectures. 

Synopsis

Part 1  Operetta was a French creation, deriving in the 1840s and 1850s from the lighter forms of Opera Comique.  Offenbach was its principal creator, writing more than 100 of them.  His operettas are light, tuneful and often highly satirical, lampooning the foibles of Second Empire France.  Other composers got in the act, and we look at a selection of their music, highlighting the sometimes bitter rivalry between them.

Part 2  The French may have invented operetta as a light and frothy entertainment, but it was the Viennese who brought real romance and glamour to the operetta stage to challenge the French at their own game.  We will hear examples from both the Golden and Silver ages of Viennese operetta, from the 1870s to the 1920s. 

Part 3  The British had their own operetta, principally in the creations of Gilbert and Sullivan, but between the two world wars the genre evolved, thanks mainly to American influence, into the modern musical of today.  We will follow the change with numerous examples from throughout the period.

Images: Strauss (Ian Gledhill)

Please note change of venue: Beare Green Village Hall, 3 Merebank, Dorking RH5 4RD

John Osborne graduated in Classics at Cambridge University and taught Classics at Marlborough College for more than 30 years. He worked for the British Council in Iran and Turkey, and lectures in Islamic Civilisation. He was a tutor at Marlborough College Summer School and a lecturer for the Department of Continuing Education at the University of Bath. He has lectured on cruise ships and has led study tours to Bulgaria, Romania, Iran, Turkey southeast Europe and the Mediterranean, Australia and New Zealand. He is also a guide at Salisbury Cathedral.

 Synopsis

Contemporary Iran, the product of the revolution led by the Ayatollah Khomeini; the monumental architecture and reliefs of the ancient palace at Persepolis; the brilliant architecture and  tilework of the mosques and palaces of the Islamic period.

Part 1 of this study day introduces the geographical, political and religious background, and explains how the Shi’a form of Islam originated and became the ruling creed in the late 20th century Iran of Ayatollah Khomeini. It looks especially at how visible aspects of traditional Persian culture have been changing over the last half century.

Part 2 illustrates the rich and mighty Persian Empire founded by Cyrus the Great, which was contemporary with Classical Greece and ruled by great kings such as Darius and Xerxes. Their royal palace at Persepolis, destroyed (allegedly deliberately) by Alexander the Great, has monumental architectural remains and a wealth of relief sculpture which reveals the ethos of the Persian empire and the symbolism of kingship.  There is mention of Zoroastrianism, which was the official religion of the Iranians before the Islamic conquest.

Part 3 traces the development of architecture in the mosques and palaces of Iran, with an emphasis on their brilliant tilework and painting, through the Islamic period until the end of the 19th century. There is a section on the splendid buildings of Shah Abbas’ early 17th century Isfahan, which was the subject of the British Museum exhibition in Spring 2009. There is mention of some of Persia’s classic gardens, and the art of book illustration with beautiful examples from the classic period of Persian miniature painting and literature.

Images: John Osborne

The auction house is the public face of the art market. When the hammer falls, the price of an artwork can make headlines around the world, astounding and confounding many with the eventual result, whether selling for a new world record, only finding one bidder and scraping away or failing to find a buyer when pre-sale expectations and rhetoric where raging high. How did we get to this point and where are we heading with new digital technology? Join us as we look at the origins and development of London’s great auction houses, studying the notable characters in their histories, exploring the controversies and mapping their growth from small individual enterprises to monolithic international institutions.

Many of London’s great auction houses have been around for more than 200 years. This presentation aims to give a succinct, colourful introduction to their histories, with one eye on the past we can give shrewd insight into their current contemporary practice and how they plan to situate themselves in the art market of the future.

Grant Ford is an independent fine art advisor, private curator and representative. His eponymous company is based in Marlborough. Grant is a senior paintings specialist for BBC's Antique Roadshow in the UK and is particularly well known in the field of Victorian, Pre-Raphaelitism, Irish, Scottish, Sporting and European Art. He was responsible for Sotheby’s Victorian Art Department (2001-2016), as well as being a Senior Director and Head of British and Irish Art Post 1850. Grant spent 30 years at Sotheby’s and now represents a number of prestigious family collections. He is also a regular guest lecturer in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada and elsewhere and has written extensively for multiple publications. 

Image by Thomas Rowlandson

William Morris and the leading figures in the Arts and Crafts Movement were the most innovative and original designers in Britain in the second half of the 19th century. They pioneered radical new approaches to design and championed artistry, craftsmanship and traditional techniques of making: they were also driven by strong moral imperatives. They did not just want to make beautiful things; they also argued for more ethical forms of production and wanted to change the way that people thought about their surroundings and their lives. Many of the questions that they raised about the balance of work and life, sustainable production, and protecting the environment, continue to resonate today. This day begins with a review of the range and variety of William Morris’s designs and continues with an exploration of his legacy and the development of new ideas in the Arts and Crafts Movement.

Contact: Jean Mickle Tel. 01306 881208

Tickets £30.00  

With the establishment of a military government in Edo (present-day Tokyo) by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 17th century, Japan enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity that lasted till the late 19th century. Fifteen generations of Shoguns from the Tokugawa clan ruled the country with strict social ranking and regulations. They promulgated the policy of national seclusion, prohibited Christianity, and adopted the Confucian philosophy of an ordered society. In an environment of peace, a great diversity of arts flourished in urban centres, particularly in Edo and Kyoto. We will examine the different styles of art that developed during the Edo period in their social and cultural context.

Lecture 1 - Art and Power: Kano School of Painting

The Kano School was a hereditary group of professional painters who produced sumptuous large-scale paintings for the rulers of Japan from the 15th through to the 19th centuries. Their dynamic painting style appealed to the Shoguns and warriors who built many magnificent castles and palaces to project their image of authority, wealth and power. The Kano School operated a highly efficient studio system that dominated the official artistic scene in the Edo period.

Lecture 2 - Art in Kyoto: Rinpa School

The Rinpa School, named after the artist Ogata Korin (1658 – 1716), was unique in that the artists were not trained in a master- pupil relationship, but they simply shared an appreciation of a similar style that was revived every hundred years or so. The first generation in the 17th century, and the second generation in the 18th century both flourished in Kyoto, supported by an affluent merchant class, while the third generation in the 19th century mainly worked in Edo with patrons from the samurai class.

The Rinpa artists often looked for inspiration in the classical literature of Japan, and they created a highly innovative and distinctive style that is considered as most quintessentially Japanese today. 

Lecture 3 - Ukiyo-e: Pictures of the Floating World

Image: “The Great Wave” by Katsushika Hokusai, c. 1830

Woodblock printing technique, first developed in China, was introduced to Japan at least by the 8th century to create multiple Buddhist texts. Woodblock printed secular story books with illustrations began to appear in the 16th century, followed by single sheets with just images from the 17th century. This cheap and ephemeral kind of art circulated very widely among the populace during the Edo period, and came to be known as Ukiyo-e, literally “pictures of the Floating World”. The affordability of prints meant that art was no longer the prerogative of the ruling class, but was available to all strata of the society. When Japan opened its doors to the West in the mid-19th century, many of these prints were introduced to Europe for the first time and were received with great enthusiasm by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists in Paris.

Mickleham Village Hall 10.15 am

Ticket Price £25.00 (Non transferrable) includes lectures, coffee and lunch.

Contact: Jean Mickle  Tel: 01306 881208   

Email: familymickle@gmail.com

Cost for all sessions including lunch is £25. Please book in advance at the February lecture or contact Jean Mickle (01306 881208). 

A Terrible Tragedy. A Thriving Town. An Archaeological Miracle that will change your view of the Romans who lived 2,000 years ago.

We delve into the astonishing world of the Romans who lived in and around Pompeii. Learn from an archaeologist who has excavated in the region how we – and you too – can bring the Romans to life through the homes and art that they left behind.

Three richly illustrated and engaging sessions will connect you with the dramatic story of Pompeii and reveal how the vibrant art speaks to us of the people who lived there, enable you to find your way around and fully enjoy exploring a Roman city, and provide you with a vivid sense of life 2,000 years ago.

The sessions tell the engaging narrative of the lives and deaths of people who lived in and around Pompeii 2,000 years ago. The lecturer will equip you with the tricks of the trade so that you can truly enjoy and appreciate this amazing ruined city and the sites and finds that you can explore nearby. This study day will bring them all dramatically to life.

Session 1 -  Digging deeper in Pompeii

Become as familiar with this Roman town as the Romans were before its burial by Vesuvius’ eruption in AD 79. Learn insights how you can connect with and get the most from the wealth of daily and public art and architecture unearthed from the ashes in and beyond Pompeii.

Session 2 - Welcome to Pompeii

Romans who visited Pompeii knew exactly what to expect; every Roman town was a mini-Rome and contained everything you could possibly want in your Roman lifestyle. We explore how you too can feel ‘at home’ in a Roman town. What should you notice? What should you look for? How do you find your way around so that you can delve into every aspect of Roman life?

Session 3 - The Big Picture: a 2,000-year-old way of life and death

Pompeii was not isolated. It was one town in a vibrant region that was much favoured by the celebrities of the day who owned country houses in the area; amongst them were Cicero and Pliny who praised the glorious weather, rich crops and fresh air.

As an archaeologist who has excavated at nearby Oplontis and led many tours to the Roman sites around Pompeii, and as an ancient historian who has studied the texts from the first century, our lecturer takes us on a virtual tour that will inspire you with a very real sense of what Roman life was truly like. Mass entertainment, trade, religion, playboy mansions, imperial homes, they’re all here in the amphitheatre at volcanic Pozzuoli, the religious site of Cumae (made so famous by the Roman poet, Virgil), the emperor’s wife’s superbly decorated glamorous house at Oplontis and the next door work-a-day wine warehouse on the ancient shore, as well as the party houses at Stabiae, the markets and the rich finds housed in Naples’ Archaeological Museum. We touch every aspect of Roman life. 

https://theartssocietydorking.org.uk/DocumentStore/Study%20Day%20Limpsfield.pdf

Artist, craftsman, conservationist and political theorist, William Morris not only created hundreds of designs, but also inspired subsequent generations. He championed the idea that interiors should contain only that which was both beautiful and useful, and that art should be available to everyone, not just the rich.

These lectures will explore the origins of the Movement’s ideas in the reaction to industrialisation in the 1830s and 1840s, then the development of Morris’s work from his early obsession with the Middle Ages to his later interest in nature and other periods of history. The next session will examine the different ideas and practices associated with the Arts and Crafts and its principal designers. The final talk will focus on the impact of Morris and the Art and Crafts style on wallpapers and textiles.

How did the British view themselves and their subjects in the era of imperialism? How did imperial subjects view the British? This study day considers these questions by exploring a range of images, buildings, objects and art forms from across the British Empire.

Beginning with a broad view of the empire and imperial art in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, we will go on to focus more closely on imperial India.   We will consider the arts and architecture of the vibrant capital city of Calcutta, the ‘second city’ of the British Empire throughout the nineteenth century.   We will then take a detailed look at the life and art of one of India’s cultural giants, Rabindranath Tagore.

Mark Hill of Antiques Roadshow fame is coming to talk to us about: (Antiques, I do not understand them, and they are beyond my budget. Nobody collects them anymore.) A persuasive introduction to buying antiques, vintage and modern design and integrating and using them in today’s home.

The antiques market has changed dramatically and now pieces that were made during the 1970s can fetch many times more than a similar piece made in the 1770s. Following lunch, he will do a mini- Antiques-Roadshow-style valuation and identification event around 20th century glass or ceramics.

This wonderful river in France, often referred to as the River of Light, was a great influence on the 19th century artists and the development of Impressionism. From the luminescent estuary which first attracted them, to the area west of Paris which became known as the cradle of Impressionism they came to seek inspiration. This series of three lectures follows the course of the river and the exploits along it and will aim to uncover new revelations!

Lecture 1 - The Seine Estuary: Capturing the 19th century imagination

Lecture 2 - Belle Epoque Paris and the Cradle of Impressionism to the West

Lecture 3 - The Path to Success - collectively or independently

Bookings for lectures with lunch and visits are taken two months before the date. Priority is given to members for the first month, after this Associate members may apply.

Bookings for lectures with lunch and visits are taken two months before the date. Priority is given to members for the first month, after this Associate members may apply.

Date, Venue and Time:

Wednesday 31st May at Mickleham Village Hall.  Start: 10.15am.   Cost: £25

SALLY will give us two lectures in the morning about aspects of “The Age of Jazz” and the Art Deco style.

The day gives an overview of Art Deco style and design and looks at the movement’s legacy today. It covers international architecture, cinema design, fashion design, pattern design, interior design, ceramics, metalwork, fine art graphic design and furniture.

Art Deco swept across Europe and America in the 1920s, bringing with it a transformation in design. From brightly coloured geometric patterns on fabrics, wallpapers and in book illustrations to the soaring elegant lines of New York skyscrapers. Art Deco helped to introduce Modernism to a mass audience. We have an overview of Art Deco style and design and the movement’s legacy today.

Lecture one: Takes an overview of the Art Deco style including its influences and key developments in all areas of design. We also discuss jazz music in relation to Art Deco style but the focus is not on music.

Lecture two: focuses on Art Deco fashion and its development including dresses, jackets, shawls, hats accessories and shoes.

After Lunch: We have the opportunity to handle and examine museum quality pieces of Art Deco fashion and objects. You can also bring along your own Art Deco pieces for an appraisal/valuation.

OLIVER EVERETT is a great favourite and his talks are peppered with humour, and interest.  He will give us a peep into Windsor Castle, with its history, royal occupants, the fire and the restoration and he will also talk about what the Queen does at Windsor.

For photographs to go with the lecture, please follow the link to our Document store:

Windsor Castle is the oldest and largest continuously occupied castle in the world. We will travel throughout its 900 year history, encountering the various monarchs and changes made.  The afternoon lecture will concentrate on the fire at Windsor in 1992 and its remarkable restoration.

We will also discover the way that The Queen and Prince Philip use the castle for visiting foreign Heads of State.

Photo: Catherine by Mikhail Shibanov

THESE THREE LECTURES will tell the remarkable story of how an obscure German princess fended off accusations of murder and illegitimacy and rose to become one of the most illustrious monarchs in history. Along the way she transformed the Russian Empire, which by the time of her death in 1796 was the largest the world had seen since the fall of Rome, into one of the great powers of Europe. She created a brilliant court and led a scandalous personal life, taking a succession of ever-younger lovers. She was a ruthless despot and a peerless collector of art: the enormous Hermitage museum in St Petersburg is a lasting testament to her legacy.

1. The Dawn of a New Classical Age

The first lecture will explore Catherine’s early life as a German Princess in St Petersburg, her relationship with Empress Elizabeth, with her husband, and her early lovers, her seizure of power, the key events and reforms of the early years of her reign, and her involvement in the arts, the turn from Italian baroque to French neo-classicism in the architecture of her reign, the art, music, and literature produced in the 1760s and 1770s, her relations with key figures of the French Enlightenment such as Voltaire and Diderot, her attitude towards the Russian Orthodox Church, to icon painting and sacred music.

2. A Window on Russia:

The History of The Hermitage This lecture charts the fascinating history of one of the world’s largest and greatest museums, from its foundation in 1764 through to the 21st century. Catherine the Great's voracious appetite for collecting, coupled with her unlimited buying power resulted in her amassing nearly 4000 paintings – more than the Louvre acquired over several centuries. Catherine’s successors shared her lust for art, and further expansion came with the addition of priceless private collections when the Hermitage was nationalized after the 1917 Revolution. At the outbreak of World War II, devoted employees helped to evacuate the most valuable exhibits to Sverdlovsk, while remaining stalwartly at their posts during the Siege of Leningrad. The Hermitage’s eventful history provides a revealing window into the peculiarities and paradoxes of imperial and Soviet Russia.

3. ‘Enlightened Absolutism’ and the Court of Catherine II

Finally, we will look at Catherine’s reign in the 1780s and 1790s, her relationship with the last Polish King Poniatowski, whose kingdom she carved up with the rulers of Prussia and Austria, her relationship with Potemkin, who conquered the Crimea for her, her domestic and foreign policies towards the end of her reign, her relationship with her son Paul and grandson Alexander, both future Tsars of Russia, her ‘Greek Project’, the impact of her increasing conservatism on the intellectual and artistic life of St Petersburg as the French Revolution loomed, the punishments meted out to her critics, the architecture, portraiture and music of the last years of her reign and her own creative contributions to the performing arts and Russian literature.

The first lecture will trace The Making and History of Medieval Stained Glass. The second lecture will focus on The Painted Church, Understanding Medieval Wall Paintings. Both lectures will describe how these artworks were made, the artists who made them and the subjects and styles that were depicted. Examples from local churches will be used for illustration. The third lecture will draw on the morning lectures to explore The Function and Purpose of Medieval Imagery, why it was commissioned and by whom, and how medieval people saw and responded to the art which shaped their lives.

We will enjoy three lectures with live musical interludes. The life of Antonio Vivaldi – An overview of Vivaldi’s music and Vivaldi’s influence on other 18th century composers Antonio Vivaldi - the last of the great Venetian composers – was born on a day in 1678 when a tremendous earthquake shook the lagoon city to its core. Perhaps this was symbolic, since Vivaldi’s compositions were in turn to shake the world of music. In fact, they shook the world of music so dramatically that no late Baroque composer (including Bach and Handel) could remain unaffected by their force and originality. Against the luxurious backdrop of 18th century Venice, and with live musical performances, Peter Medhurst explores the amazing world of Vivaldi’s music – music that is as intrinsically Venetian as the canvasses of Canaletto. ____________________________________ Sample timetable with content 10.30-11.30 – Session 1 The world of 18th century Venice. The life of Antonio Vivaldi The Ospedale and the role that they played in Vivaldi’s career 11.30-11.45 – Break 11.45-1.00 – Session 2 What is it that makes Vivaldi’s music sound like Vivaldi? An overview of Vivaldi’s music Works by Vivaldi that connect with Venetian politics and events 1.00-2.15 – Lunch 2.15-3.30 – Session 3 Vivaldi’s influence on 18th century composers ie Bach, Handel, Stanley Live performance with voice and piano (or harpsichord, or organ) of works by Vivaldi and his contemporaries

This study day will open the door on dining from the 1830s to the end of the nineteenth century: a period of major change in dining and one which still influences us today. We will look at the fashionable dinner from the point of view of the mistress of the house, before delving below stairs to see how her cooks and kitchens are affected by her decisions. We will consider the role of class and gender in driving change, and cover all aspects of food preparation, including a demonstration of the Victorian cook in action. 1st Lecture: Appearing to Advantage: Victorian ladies and their dining tables. This lecture covers dining style and discusses the reasons for change, décor of the room, tableware and different dining styles. Coffee Break 2nd Lecture: The hub of the house: Victorian kitchens in use. Having looked upstairs we move downstairs to look at kitchen layout, personnel, working conditions and equipment. Lunch 3rd Lecture: A practical art: cooking (and eating) Victorian food which goes into more depth on the food itself, with Illustrations from cookbooks and the occasional photograph. A demonstration of cooking a Victorian dish in a Victorian cook’s outfit, with time for tasting then enjoy afternoon tea.

Next year, 2014, will be the 450th anniversary of the death of Michelangelo so what better way of marking this than with a celebration of his life and works. Sculptor, painter, architect and poet, he has come to epitomise the glorious period of the Renaissance and is still considered one of the greatest artists of the Western world. Yet he lived through times of great upheaval, both personal and political.

A History of Jewellery from Elizabeth 1st to Jewellery in the 20th Century Four hundred years of international jewellery design, examining the changing styles from the pomp of High Renaissance enamelled gold work to the glamour of Harry Winston diamonds. This presentation covers many of the key elements of manufacture, including the progress of diamond cutting, Neo-classicism and Romanticism, 19th Century Archaeological and Renaissance Revivalism, the impact of diamond mining in South Africa, Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts and Art Deco, Post War Modernism and designs of the future. Other important areas covered include Cartier and the introduction of platinum jewellery as a statement of style and the jewels of the Duchess of Windsor.