Vaux Le Vicomte
Tuesday 19th January at 10.30am
Lecturer: Carole Petipher
French 19th Century design owes much to one man Nicholas Fouquet who made an error of judgement which led to his downfall, by employing the talented Vaux-le Vicomte to design a spectacular chateau for himself which completely out shone the Sun King.
Art and Culture in Budapest
Tuesday 17th November 2020 at 10.45am*
Lecturer: Gavin Plumley
This will be a Zoom lecture.
Budapest was formed in 1873 by the unification of Buda and Pest, situated on either side of the River Danube. The new capital was the focus of resurgent Hungarian nationalism, which found expression through lavish new buildings, the continent’s first underground railway system and myriad paintings featuring specifically Hungarian subjects and locales. Meanwhile, in the countryside, composers Bartók and Kodály began to collect the music of their compatriots. Placing these endeavours in a historical context, this talk explores how the Hungarians came to understand national identity through cultural means.
*This lecture will be preceded by the AGM, also by Zoom, at 10.30am.
Restoration Theatre – Rakes, Fops and Wenches
Tuesday 20th October 2020 at 10.30am
Lecturer: Malcolm Jones
This lecture will be via Zoom.
The return of Charles II led to the re-opening of theatres after the 18 year closure of public playhouses under the Commonwealth Government. The new theatres saw the first actress on the stage replacing the cross-dressing males. Great actors and lively audiences in Restoration Theatre brought the morals of the court onto the stage in its comedies of city life and an era of great playwriting was unleashed.