New for 2025 -South West Area History of Arts Course

Join us as we explore the artistic and cultural developments from the birth of the Rococo era, roughly spanning the 18th century to the new artistic influences of the 19th century. Throughout the five sessions we will look at how the lighter, more playful Rococo style evolved from Neo-classicism to the birth of Romanticism.

Day 1 - Thursday 27 February 2025: The birth of Rococo
French fun and frivolity from Jean- Antoine Watteau and François Boucher to Jean-Honoré Fragonard
Day 2 - Thursday 6 March 2025: The Grand Tour
A new market for artists – from Canaletto and Battista Piranesi, to Pompeo Batoni and Giambattista Tiepolo
Day 3 - Thursday 13 March 2025: William Hogarth to the ‘Grand Manner’
From the satirical to history painting and portraiture – Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough and the grandees of the Royal Academy
Day 4 – Date tbc: Age of Enlightenment, Revival and Revolution
From the battles of Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley and Jacques-Louis David to the madness of Francisco de Goya
Thursday 3 April 2025: Neo-classicism to the birth of Romanticism
From Antonio Canova, William Blake, Angelica Kauffman, Henry Fuseli to JMW Turner and John Constable

Fee: £150 for the five days, including tea and coffee.
For all enquiries: please contact Sarah Merchant - sarahswstudydays@gmail.com

The Arts Society Accredited Lecturer Dr Geri Parlby
Geri has been an accredited lecturer for NADFAS/Arts Society for the past 19 years and studied History of Art at the Courtauld Institute. She has been principal lecturer on the Arts Society SW Area History of Art Course since 2005.