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.

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 and again in '22:  See below for the programme we have planned right through to 2024.  

Updated: 28/12/2022-RL

U3A History of Art 2022 Programme concludes with: 

17 Jan 2023:
British portraiture (e.g. Lely; Kneller; Dobson).


U3A History of Art 2023 Programme 

Surrealism 
21 February: Origins of Surrealism in Art.
 
Session 1:                                                                                             
Andre Breton (1896-1966)
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978) 
 
Session 2:                                                                                            
Max Ernst (1891-1976)
 
21 March: Well-known players.
 
Session 1:
Salvador Dali (1904-1989)                                                            
Rene Margritte (1898-1967)                                                         
 
Session 2:
Joan Miro (1893-1983)                                                                   
 
18 April: Others of interest                       
 
Possible examples: Alberto Giacometti; Leonora Carrington; Frida Kahlo; Roland Penrose;              
                                   British surrealists
 
Still Life 
16 May:
Session 1: Overview of Still Life.                                               
 
Session 2: 16th/17th century “giants”:
The Bruegels                                                                                
Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)                                               
 
20 June: 17th century Dutch and Spanish                             
                                                                                                  
 
18 July: 19th/20th century.
 
Session 1:
Paul Cezanne (1839-1906)                                                       
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)                                                       
 
Session 2:
Giorgio Morandi (1891-1964)                                              
Vanessa Bell                                                                              
 
Scottish Artists of 19th/20th century
15 August: Landscapes and City
 
Joan Eardley (1933-1988)                                                       
James Morrison (1932-2020)                                                
Peter Doig (1959-  )                                                                
 
19 September: Glasgow              
 
Session 1:
The Glasgow Boys, 1850’s-1940’s (approx. 20 artists).
 
Session 2:
The Glasgow girls, 1880’s-1920’s.
 
17 October: The Art Nouveau Four:                                    
ie Charles Rennie MacIntosh; James Herbert McNair;
     Margaret McDonald; Francis McDonald.
 
Portraiture 
21 November: Overview and early portraits:
 
Session 1:
Overview of portraiture as a genre                                     
 
Session 2:
Greek/Roman/Medieval (eg Ravenna mosaics)              
 
19 December: Self-portraits by men and women over the centuries:
 
15th/16th century: Durer and Caterina van Hemessen     
17th century: Rembrandt and Judith Leyster                     
18th century: Joshua Reynolds and Angelica
                  Kaufman +/- Elizabeth Vigee le Brun               
19th century: Van Gough and
                                     Paula Modersohn-Becker                   
20th century: Stanley Spencer                                                
                                           and Frida Kahlo                              
 
 
16 January 2024: Members free choice                             
 
Any portrait from any century and for any reason: One portrait per member.

Click for Archived 2022, 2019, 2018 and 2017 programmes
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