Updated: 20-Feb-2025-RP Group Risk Assessment - August 2024
Our 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.
The photo below shows us at the stall on one of the u3a Open Days in Southwell.
See below for the programme we have planned for 2025-26.
Our 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.
The photo below shows us at the stall on one of the u3a Open Days in Southwell.
See below for the programme we have planned for 2025-26.
U3a History of Art 2025-26 Programme
Theme: Uprisings, Revolutions, Rebellious and Reactionary artists, 1750 to 1914
Enlightenment (1750-1800)
Month 1, March 18:
- Introduction to the British artistic experience of the Enlightenment.
Session 2: Mary Delaney (1700-1788)
Month 2, April 15: A British Enlightened rebel.
Full session: William Hogarth (1697-1764)
Month 3, May 20: Enlightenment and the French Revolution
- Introduction to the French experience.
Session 2: Marie-Guillemine Benoist (1768-1826)
Romanticism (1800-1850)
Month 4, June 17:
- An Introduction to Romanticism.
Session 2: Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863)
Month 5, July 15:
- Introduction to Blake’s Romantic and visionary concept of religion.
Session 2: Francisco Goya (1746-1828)
Impressionists (1850-1900)
Month 6, August 19:
- Introduction to the Impressionists and their artistic rebellion.
Session 2: Berthe Morisot (1841-1895)
Month 7, September 16:
Session 1: Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Session 2: Mary Cassatt (1844-1926).
Arts and Crafts (1880-1910): Rebellion against Industrialisation
Month 8, October 21:
- Introduction to the Movement
Full Session: William Morris and his associates
Primitivism: Artistic reactionaries:
Month 9, November 18
- Introduction to the Reactionary artistic developments
Session 2: Amadeo Modigliani (1884-1920).
Month 10, December 16:
An open session to reflect and to share thoughts and artworks relevant to this year’s theme.
And to share Christmas nibbles!!
German Expressionists (1900-1914): Social and Artistic Reactionaries.
Month 11, 20 January 2026:
- Introduction to the Movement.
Session 2: Gabriele Munter (1877-1962).
Month 12, 17 February 2026:
Session 1: Franz Marc (1880-1916).
Session 2: Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945).
Click for Archived 2024, 2022-2023, 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