Lectures

The Glories of Ancient Rome

Lutyens - Jekyll

Tuesday 15th July 2025 at 10.45am BUT meeting starts at 10.30am (AGM)

Lecturer: Paul Roberts

MARY GLEN MEMORIAL LECTURE

It is sometimes hard to see beyond the ruins of today, so using masterpieces of Roman art and reconstructions and with the Emperors as our guides, we’ll go on a journey through Rome in its golden prime: from the splendid civic hubs of the great Imperial Forums to the beautiful, soaring temples of the gods, the dazzling gleam of marble and mosaic in the great public baths and the roar of the crowds at the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum.

Posted by Malcolm Lawrenson in Lectures

Art, Faith and Empire: The Golden Age of Spanish Art

Lutyens - Jekyll

Tuesday 16th September 2025 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Isabelle Kent

In the 16th and 17th centuries, Spain rose as the great superpower with an empire spanning the globe. This vast wealth, alongside the renewed catholic fervour of the counter reformation, kick-started the Spanish siglo d’oro – literally the century of gold - the great flourishing of painting, sculpture, literature, and music. This lecture explores this period, looking at the historical moment and its vast array of art.

Posted by Malcolm Lawrenson in Lectures

George Stubbs, the English Leonardo

Lutyens - Jekyll

Tuesday 21st October 2025 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Christopher Garibaldi

2024 marked the 300th anniversary of the birth of George Stubbs and North Lincolnshire celebrated his connection with the region. Between 1756 and 1758, under the patronage of Sir John Nelthorpe, Stubbs spent 18 months in Horkstow dissecting and studying horses which led to the publication of ‘The Anatomy of the Horse’ in 1766. His legacy and influence are still an inspiration to today’s artists. There were further exhibitions and events at Normanby Hall and Scawby Hall, home of the Nelthorpe family.

Posted by Malcolm Lawrenson in Lectures

The Twelve Plants of Christmas

Poinsettia plant

Tuesday 18th November 2025 at 10.45am

Lecturer: Timothy Walker

Apart from the pear tree in which sat the partridge, there are no plants in the 12 days of Christmas according to the folk song. Sadly, even that reference is erroneous, because partridges are ground dwelling birds. And yet at Christmas we are surrounded by plants. This talk puts the record straight and rewrites the zoocentric song replacing partridges with poinsettias, and maids with mistletoe.

Posted by vivalogue in Lectures