Bertie Pearce 'The Dancing Faun' by Adrien De Vries. A Personal Story of a 17th Century Masterpiece. Bertie recounts the extraordinary tale of how a small bronze statue, which had sat in his grandfather's...

David Worthington: “Sculptors and Photographers”. This lecture will look at the relationship between photographers and sculptors and how both practitioners have been fascinated and drawn to each other’s work.

Picasso is one of the most famous and controversial figures of the 20th century. Even today his work triggers mixed and often violent reactions from art lovers. This lecture aims to calm those fears!

Delacroix wrote to his brother: “If I have not fought for the country, at least I will paint for her.” This lecture will explore one painting, Liberty Leading the People, placing it at the...

The Nazis looted over 20% of Western Art during World War II, confiscating art from Jewish families and emptying museums throughout Europe. This lecture will provide an overview of Nazi looting by setting the...

This lecture will trace the story of Banksy’s humble beginnings to one of the most recognisable names in the art world. It will examine the reasons behind his incredible rise, looking at some of...

From the most basic table-cuts to the perfectly proportioned round brilliants of today, this lecture traces how man has mastered the technique of cutting and polishing the hardest substance on earth, including how diamonds...

This lecture looks 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...

This lecture looks at why this Baltimore woman, born in 1896, was so demonised by the British establishment, accused of being a spy, prostitute or Nazi sympathiser, yet how, after she married the ex-King...

The earliest cars were purely functional and lacked even the most basic of passenger comforts, such as doors and windscreens. This lecture covers some of the most beautiful cars ever built, from the ‘horseless...

This lecture will seek to unravel the myth and the iconography behind the proliferation of the story of the adoration of the magi, from its Eastern and pagan roots to its current Christian interpretation,...

British seaside and how the entertainments there evolved. Pierrot troupes and concert parties were ubiquitous throughout the seaside resorts of Britain, but what is a Pierrot troupe?