Decoding the Saints: Medieval Saints and their Symbols

Can you ever remember which saint is which? Who carries the wheel? And which John is the one with the lamb and which is the one with chalice and snake?

This lecture is designed to give members the edge when travelling around the churches, galleries and museums of UK and Europe – helping them to ‘decode’ the saints.

The lecture explores the visual splendours that were created to glorify saints, martyrs and important Christian ﬁgures.

Drawing from paintings, metal work, sculpture and manuscripts the lecture explores ancient saints such as St Stephen (the ﬁrst Christian martyr) to historic saints such as St Thomas Becket and St Louis IX King of France.

Fantastical stories such as Saint Urusla and her 11,000 virgin companions, will be explored through well-known masterpieces and little-known treasures.

By the end of the lecture members will be able to decode the symbols found in churches, paintings, manuscripts and much more that were used by Byzantine and medieval artists to tell the stories of their saints, martyrs and revered ﬁgures.

How to book this event:

Email wensleydale@artssociety.org

THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Ms Anna Bianco

Anna Bianco (née Harnden) is a freelance curator, writer, lecturer, tour guide and art historian. She has been an accredited lecturer of The Arts Society for 11 years. She has a BA History of Art and an MA in Curating from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She has curated exhibitions and displays at The Wallace Collection, The British Museum, The Embankment Galleries and The Southwark Art Collection. She was Director of the Tryon St. Gallery on the Kings Road, and was Associate Curator at Copperfield Gallery, Southwark. She was also Senior Curator for Faith at Auckland Castle in County Durham. She has been a guest lecturer for Christies Education, Durham University, London College of Communication and the Open University. She has also been a tour guide for Context Travel across London.

She focuses her work on the medieval and renaissance periods but Anna takes most enjoyment from helping everyone to discover the stories behind art works and museum objects. She is currently in the process of researching and writing her first book. Watch this space!

In 2019, Anna moved her permanent home from London to North Yorkshire to live with her fiancé. Having married in June 2019 she had her daughter in July 2020.

GALLERY