Toulouse-Lautrec’s life is both a triumph against adversity and a glimpse into late 19th century society in Paris. Julian looks at the careers of the leading cabaret artists who were the subject of Lautrec’s art including La Goulue, Jane Avril, Yvette Guilbert, May Milton, the clown Cha-U-Kao and Aristide Bruant, as well as at some of the well known venues such as Le Rat Mort, the Moulin Rouge, the Divan Japonais and the Moulin de la Galette. This is a lively view of La Belle Époque seen through the eyes of an artist from an aristocratic family.

Norman Rockwell:

Great American artist or mere illustrator?

Click here for details

Murder, poison, corruption, incest…but were the Borgias really so bad? Sometimes truth is more intoxicating than myth.

From the golden-haired lute-playing angels of the Italian Renaissance, through to the 17th century when the lute became the pastime of educated courtiers; then to intimate interior scenes of Jan Steen and Franz Hals emphasising transient pleasures…accompanied by Adam on his own lute.

Major themes in 20th and 21st century architectures are introduced. The aim is to foster a fuller understanding of modern architecture and to encourage enjoyment of its rich variety.

The Road is Wider than Long is a love poem created as a photo-book of a journey through the Balkans in 1938 by the lecturer`s father, Roland Penrose, a surrealist artist and the passionate new love of his life, the American photographer, Lee Miller. He presented her with the first copy and she subsequently left her husband and became his wife.

The History and Culture of Chairs

Sitting down is such an integral and utilitarian part of our lives that one would think that there is a basic type chair, of which ‘finely designed’ chairs are but a variation. The fact is however that there no such thing as a ‘standard’ chair, and even the convention of sitting on chairs is not universally established. This lecture is about the cultural significance of sitting, and of the chairs on which we sit – from benches (from which the words ‘bank’ and ‘banquet’ come) to bishops’ thrones (from which the word ‘cathedral’ comes).

90 Years of Excellence in Book Cover Design

One of London’s most Important publishing houses. Its history is traced through its illustrations, covers and designs. It has employed some of the most celebrated artists as cover illustrators. The talk includes personal insight and anecdote.

Treasures of the Fan Museum

This museum has an extraordinary collection – discover some of the key exhibits – from a rare Elizabethan folding fan to contemporary examples by street artists.