The History of Art Group explores artworks within their social, cultural and historical contexts. We seek to include a variety of artworks and art movements from around the globe, from ancient to modern times. Each year members select a theme or themes to study over the ensuing year. A small group of volunteers then suggest a monthly topic programme to fit the chosen theme/s, the final version being agreed by all members. Each month one or more members usually volunteer to provide some background information and illustrations on that month’s topic. The discussions are lively, interesting and informal.
The Group functions on the basis of shared learning, with no-one being an expert in the field. Art reference books owned by the group, a U3A visualiser (used to project art objects and illustrations from books onto a screen) and a U3A laptop are all available to the Group. Southwell Library, where the group meets, has excellent visual aid equipment to facilitate the projection of illustrations.
The Group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in Southwell Library between 2.00-4.00pm.
STOP PRESS!!! As the photo below shows, we came out of "Covid Hibernation" in time to have a stall at our Southwell U3A Open Day in Southwell in August '21: See below for the programme we have planned right through to 2023.
The Group functions on the basis of shared learning, with no-one being an expert in the field. Art reference books owned by the group, a U3A visualiser (used to project art objects and illustrations from books onto a screen) and a U3A laptop are all available to the Group. Southwell Library, where the group meets, has excellent visual aid equipment to facilitate the projection of illustrations.
The Group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in Southwell Library between 2.00-4.00pm.
STOP PRESS!!! As the photo below shows, we came out of "Covid Hibernation" in time to have a stall at our Southwell U3A Open Day in Southwell in August '21: See below for the programme we have planned right through to 2023.
U3A History of Art 2022: Programme
Theme: 17th Century European Art
18 January:
An Illustrated Introduction to the History of 17th century Europe.
15 February:
Caravaggio, Gentileschi’s, Bernini (sculpture) and other Italian Artists.
15 March:
Artists of Flanders: Rubens, Van Dyck and others (e.g. Brueghel’s dynasty; Clara Peters)
19 April: Easter Holiday. No Meeting.
17 May:
Dutch Republic genre painters: Vermeer and others (e.g. Nicolas Maes; Jan Steen;
de Hooch; Judith Leyster; Emanuel de Witte).
21 June:
Dutch Republic landscapes and seascapes (e.g. Jan van Goyen; Salomon van Ruysdael; Jacob
van Ruisdael.
19 July:
Dutch Republic still life, vanitas and flowers (e.g. Willem Heda; Rachel Ruysch.)
16 August:
Rembrandt and Hals (the ‘giants’ of Dutch Republic Portraiture).
[Wallace Collection: Frans Hals, The Male Portrait: Exhibition Sept 2021 to 30 Jan 2022]
20 Sept:
France: Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin (landscape painters).
Charles le Brun (architect of Versailles, Louvre and Vaux-le-Vicomte).
18 Oct:
Spain: Velasquez and El Greco.
15 Nov:
Spain: Ribera; Zurbaran; Murillo and others
20 Dec:
England: Wren and Indigo Jones (architecture), Miniaturists (e.g. Hilliard; Oliver; Cooper)
17 Jan 2023:
British portraiture (e.g. Lely; Kneller; Dobson).
Click for Archived 2019, 2018 and 2017 programmes
2020 and 2021 programmes are not archived, given extensive disruption due to Covid pandemic.
2020 and 2021 programmes are not archived, given extensive disruption due to Covid pandemic.
Think you might be interested in joining this group?
1. If you are not already a member of Southwell U3A but are interested in finding out more about this group and/or would like to attend one of their group meetings please click on the Contact Us link and let us know. We will arrange for the Group Leader to get in touch with you as soon as possible.
2. If you are already a member of Southwell U3A and are interested in joining this group you can contact the Group Leader directly. Their details are in the Group Leaders page in our Membership Area of the website. As a Southwell U3A member you will have received the password for the Members Area pages in Newsline. If you have forgotten the password please use the Contact Us facility on this website to request the password