Art Fund talks at the Wallace Collection, London

Associated media

The Art Fund has organized a series of talks at Hertford House, London, home of the Wallace Collection. Tickets for each talk are £10 and available by calling 0844 415 4100.

King of the Sea, Maritime Contact and Art in the Aegean during the Bronze Age

Michael Duigan
Thursday 7 November, 2.30p.m.

In the Odyssey Homer evokes the ‘rich and lovely land of Crete’ where ‘King Minos ruled and enjoyed the friendship of all-mighty Zeus’ and myths told of the terrible Minotaur. Arthur Evans excavated the ancient site of Knossos to discover extraordinary architecture, exquisite paintings, fine sculpture, delicate jewellery and some of the loveliest ceramics ever made. This art displayed a love of nature animated by movement and expressed in an ‘impressionist’ style unique in the Bronze Age, becoming di_used throughout Egypt and beyond through international trade.

Celebration in Ancient Egyptian Art

Lucy Gahlin
Thursday 14 November, 2.30p.m.

‘Follow your desire, allow the heart to forget’, so sang the ancient Egyptian harpist as he encouraged partygoers to relax and have a good time. This lecture explores the depiction of celebration in Egyptian art, from elaborate temple festivals to banquets with family and friends. Examining ancient imagery to explore the clothes and adornments worn, the food and drink consumed and the entertainment enjoyed, particular attention is paid to the banqueting scenes on the walls of non-royal tombs at Thebes, painted during the prosperous New Kingdom era ).

The History of the Catacombs of Rome and their rediscovery during the Counter-Reformation

Geri Parlby
Thursday 28 November, 2.30p.m.

This talk covers the origins of the Catacombs of Rome and the extraordinarily varied art that adorns them. The art historian Geri Parlby dispels the myth that persecuted Christians hid inside the burial site tunnels, instead focusing on the more unusual habits practised underground, such as the tradition of dining with the dead. Some of the oldest symbols of Christianity are found within in the catacombs, from the iconic fish to the mysterious praying female figures, exquisitely depicted in frescoes and sarcophagi carvings.

The Wallace Collection
Hertford House
Manchester Square
London
W1U 3BN
United Kingdom