LIDFAS Programme Diary for 2008-2009
 |
Lectures |
|
Special Interest or Study Days |
|
Visits and Tour |
|
Church Recording |
|
Heritage Volunteers |
|
Young Arts |
If you would like to print out the Programme Diary, please click here.
Lectures
9 September 2008 - Michael Copp
The Angel in the House: Women in 17th Century Dutch Art
Women of various social classes are portrayed in scenes of everyday life. The lecture will show peasants, servants, maids, middle-class women and elegant ladies, engaged in various activities: convivial drinking, listening and playing music, reading and writing letters and performing domestic tasks.
14 October 2008 - Judith Middleton-Stewart
Luxury Painting at the Court of Charlemagne and the Carolingian Renaissance
Charlemagne succeeded to the Frankish crown in 768 and immediately devised a scheme of educational reform, which spread throughout the vast Carolingian empire. In 781 he met the dominant intellectual of the age, Alcuin, who became the 'minister for education' to teach the seven liberal arts. This was the beginning of the Carolingian renaissance.
4 November 2008 - Denis Moriarty
Henry Purcell: Music and Art in Restoration England
The life of Henry Purcell spanned 3 reigns. He composed brilliantly for both Church and State, and ceremonial occasions. He lived through plague, fire, political and religious turmoil. The lecture, illustrated with extracts of music, sets Purcell in this historic context. 'A greater musical genius England never had'.
9 December 2008 - Shirley Smith
Picturing the Nativity: Painting by Numbers
The description of the Nativity in St Luke's Gospel is brief, mentioning only the Holy family, but this did not prevent later artists including a full supporting cast and incidental props. By the 15th century the story had been expanded to include animals, shepherds, Kings, Saints and even contemporary portraits. The result is touching, amusing, at times blasphemous, but never dull.
13 January 2009 - Terry Pearson
The History of the Mermaid
The seductive mermaid is the last survivor of a great medieval menagerie of hybrid creatures. Perennially popular in folklore, the fish-tailed woman has been an inspiration to artists down the ages. The lecture explores her origins in antiquity and her decorative role in many media from the 16th century to the present day.
10 February 2009 - James Taylor
Charles Darwin and the Voyage of HMS Beagle
2009 marks the bi-centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of his sensational publication "The Origin of the Species". Darwin befriended the official artists – Augustus Earle and Conrad Martens. This lecture will feature their work to illustrate the Darwin story and the voyage of HMS Beagle.
10 March 2009 - Imogen Corrigan
The significance of the Ship-burial at Sutton Hoo
The extraordinary rich hoard found at Sutton Hoo dates to the early 7th century and tells us a great deal about Anglo-Saxon society. What is not yet proven is who was buried within the ship in the mound, although the popular theory is that it was King Readwald of East Anglia. This lecture uses images of the treasures found as well as Old English poetry to discuss kingship and power in Anglo-Saxon England.
14 April 2009 - Denise Heywood
Laos: The Art of Luang Prabang from historic Buddhist temples to modern silk weaving
High in the mountains of northern Laos is Luang Prabang, a treasure trove of 32 glittering wooden Buddhist temples covered in frescoes and gold leaf, dating back to the 14th century Kingdom of Lane Xang, the land of a Million Elephants. The lecture will describe the art of Luang Prabang and also explore the legacy of elegant French colonial architecture, a unique fusion of East and West.
12 May 2009 - Graeme Cruikshank
The Wild Rose of Nuneham Courtenay: the tortuous tale of a celebrated ceramic print
One of the most popular transfer prints ever created is the so-called Wild Rose pattern – but the name applies only to the border. The location of the landscape, the principal subject of the pattern, for long remained a mystery, but has now been identified as Nuneham Courtenay in Oxfordshire – though all is not quite as it seems.
Special Interest or Study Days
15 October 2008 - Judith Middleton-Stewart
Gracious living at the Courts of France 1360 – 1416
This period of creative achievement was the result of a series of artistic developments under the royal patronage of Charles V and his three brothers, the Duke of Bery, the Duke of Anjou and the Duke of Burgundy; but much of the design and manufacture of the artefacts and manuscripts of the time was due to the skill and creativity of workers from the Low Countries. The day will cover firstly the Court of the 'Student Prince', Charles V, and of his brother, Louis of Anjou. Secondly the Court of Burgundy with sculpture from Champmol, Philip of Burgundy's religious foundation. Finally, we will learn about the Court of the Duke de Bery with the work of the Limburg Brothers and the Très Riches Heures.
15 April 2009 - Denise Heywood
Vietnam: Ancient and Modern Artistic Heritage
and Cambodia: the Art of Angkor
Denise Heywood is a lecturer, journalist, author and photographer who specialises in South East Asia. The day will firstly explore Vietnam to look at the French colonial architecture of Hanoi and Saigon, the ancient kingdom of Champa with its Hindu sanctuaries, the palaces and imperial tombs of Hue, and contemporary art, especially painting. Then to Cambodia to concentrate on the Khmer empire, which dominated South East Asia between
9th-14th centuries. The focus will be on Angkor, showing the evolution of the Hindu temple, its symbolism and exquisite carvings. We will look at the architecture of Phnom Penh and the revival of classical Khmer dance.
Visits and Tour
As usual we will arrange a couple of day visits during the year; and the highlight will be a flight to Glasgow for 2/3 days next 2nd week of July. Details later - pencil in the date!
Church Recording
The LIDFAS Church Recording Group began in 2002 when some totally inexperienced, and somewhat nervous volunteers met at St Hugh's Church, Quethiok, to start a detailed inventory of the church and its contents. The purpose of this record is to help the congregation and the ecclesiastical authorities become more aware of the items in their care, to assist restorers in the event of damage to the contents and to inform researchers about items of interest. The record can also be used to identify recovered items in the event of theft. The LIDFAS Group is currently completing the record of St Winnow Church and will be looking for the next project to start; why not help us achieve that aim by joining the group.
Heritage Volunteers
The Cotehele project is now complete, taking longer than planned as we were asked to make more dust covers than expected! It was a very satisfying project. We have now been approached by Port Eliot to catalogue their large number of books and to clean and sort them. Two of our members will be making some pleated lampshades. Several of our members have also been 'on duty' as room stewards at Port Eliot during the opening period. If anyone is a competent upholsterer your help is required please. There could be other requests in the future but the books will give us enough to do at the moment.
Young Arts
As part of our charitable giving support for Young Arts is an important part of our Society's activities. A total of six schools have approached us for help in the last year, and we have offered grants for artists in residence, the setting up of a photography club and the creation of murals. We can also offer support for individuals and if you know any young person who would benefit from financial help in order to continue their studies in the arts, please let us know. Grants and scholarships are also available from NADFAS who are particularly interested in promoting their bursary for apprentices in applied arts and crafts where up to £5000 can be given to finance the expensive 'non-productive' first year. The Sir Trenchard Cox Scholarship sends one young person between the ages of 16 and 18 on an Art History Tour to Venice, Florence and Rome. Why not someone from our area? More details can be found on the NADFAS website www.nadfas.org.uk.
Home ~ About Us ~ Programme ~ Membership ~ Contact Us
Copyright © 2005. Liskeard Decorative and Fine Arts Society. All rights reserved.
