07
April 2026

TASKL Lecture:'The Sphinx of Delft: Vermeer’s Masterpieces'This is a hybrid lecture so all are welcome

Welcome to The Arts Society Kington Langley
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 11:00
Kington Langley Village Hall
Church Street Kington Langley, Chippenham SN15 5NJ
Online Event

Join us in our cafe for coffee and biscuits before the lecture

Johannes Vermeer is today regarded as one of the most important painters in art history. Yet this wasn’t always the case. He was almost entirely forgotten for two centuries after his death, only to be rediscovered in the 1800s. Vermeer’s works are revered for their rich colours, quality of light and for his ability to imbue everyday scenes with poetry and serenity. Vermeer is a highly mysterious figure; there is very little historical documentation about him in existence, and less than 40 works are attributed to him. As a result, he’s earned the nickname ‘the Sphinx of Delft’. This talk explores his masterpieces, including ‘The Girl with the Pearl Earring’.

'Girl with a Pearl Earring'  Wikimedia Commons

THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER

Mrs Stella Lyons

Without sacrificing scholarship, Stella Lyons has a most engaging way of hooking an audience into sharing her passionate interest in art history, drawing three dimensional human stories and experiences from the two-dimensional canvas’ – Maev Kennedy, writer and Arts correspondent for The Guardian

Stella Grace Lyons is a freelance Art History lecturer, speaker and writer accredited with The Arts Society. She has lectured across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malaysia and will soon embark on a lecturing tour in Australasia.

Stella gained her BA in the History of Art with a 1st class in her dissertation from the University of Bristol (2007-2011), and her MA in History of Art from the University of Warwick. She spent a year studying Renaissance art in Italy at the British Institute of Florence, and three months studying Venetian art in Venice. In addition, she attended drawing classes at the prestigious Charles H. Cecil studios in Florence, a private atelier that follows a curriculum based on the leading ateliers of nineteenth century Paris.

Stella runs her own Art History lectures both in person and online. She is a regular lecturer in the UK and Europe for The Arts Society, Tour companies, and the National Trust, amongst others. Stella is also a part-time lecturer for the University of South Wales.

She has written about art for several publications and her article on Norwegian art was recently featured on the front cover of The Arts Society magazine.

In addition to her lecturing work, Stella works as an artist’s model for the internationally renowned figurative artist, Harry Holland.