Art: A Detective Story
Decoding Symbols in Paintings
4 November 2020
Zoom lecture at 5 pm
Paintings are silent but they want to tell us things – sometimes they tell simple stories, but sometimes they send subtle messages: messages intended to elevate, educate, warn or criticise. A medieval altarpiece, a Renaissance portrait, a Dutch still life, a Baroque ceiling painting or a Victorian genre scene, all resort to symbolism to tell their stories. This talk looks at the rich tradition of symbols, emblems and allegories used by artists through the ages to tell us more than just meets the eye
Lecturer: lydia bauman
Born in Poland and studied for her BA in Fine Art at University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (John Christie Scholarship and the Hatton Award), and an MA in History of Art from Courtauld Institute, London, (19th-20th century art – Distinction for thesis on Matisse’s Illustrations to Poetry). Has lectured to diverse adult audiences, notably in London’s National Gallery and MFA Boston USA. Her book on Great Themes in Art is being considered for publication by Merrell Books for worldwide distribution