"Looking at Art" is the Society's Art Appreciation Group.
Page edited by Michael Culverwell
This group meets most months at Holy Trinity School, North Willows Road, Stratford upon Avon. The Society has three members who produce an interesting presentation on Artists, Painting genre or Art highlights related to upcoming art appreciation visits.
The meeting starts at 7.00pm and the evening is punctuated by a refreshment break with cake enabling members to mix and mingle. We have an interesting programme and you would be most welcome. You don’t need to be an artist to join; you can join the Society as a Pure Art Lover (PAL) at a modest fee of £20.00 per year which entitles you to attend all the meetings and enjoy the art appreciation visits.
“Looking at Art” following the AGM on Thursday 13 March at 7.00 at Holy Trinity School.
The Life and Work of James McNeil Whistler
By Michael Culverwell
He participated in the artistic ferment of Paris and London in the late nineteenth century, crafted a distinctive style from diverse sources, and arrived at a version of Post-Impressionism in the mid-1860s. At this time most of his contemporaries in the avant-garde were still exploring Realism and Impressionism. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, Whistler spent part of his youth in Saint Petersburg, Russia. After working in the drawings division of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, where he received his first training in etching, Whistler—already fluent in French from his childhood years in Russia—decided to pursue a career as an artist by studying in Paris.
Thursday 27th March Looking at Art
"Who stole my picture? The story of the ART HEIST" by Tony Mawbey
Whether it be paintings, sculpture, porcelain or furniture, works of art have been an irresistible target for thieves for centuries and it is estimated that only about 10% of stolen art is ever recovered.
The many stories of art thefts make fascinating reading. Some cases are fiendishly detailed and intricately planned, some politically motivated, some mundane and others simply inept.
This talk will cover famous and some not so famous cases, discuss the artworks stolen and give an insight into the methods used. In the odd case we might also find out who the perpetrators were or at least who was suspected
Thursday 1st May
“Sir Stanley Spencer” by Jane Hornby:
Stanley Spencer (1891-1959) was an important and original British artist of the 20th century. Cookham in Berkshire was the place he was born and lived most of his life. He always considered it his ‘earthly paradise’ and the village featured in many of his paintings. He is best known for his imaginative interpretations of biblical events set in Cookham. He also painted landscapes, some portraits, and was appointed as an Official War Artist in 1918, which later resulted in a series of murals for the Sandham Memorial Chapel at Burghclere in Hampshire. In the Second World War he was again appointed as an Official War Artist when he painted large canvases showing shipbuilding on the Clyde, depicting the teamwork that went into the war effort.
By all accounts he was a very sociable and unusual character who has often been called eccentric. Around Cookham he became a familiar sight pushing an old pram which carried his canvas, paints and easel, often wearing pyjamas under his suit if it was cold. The Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham holds one of the largest collections of his paintings and drawings. Memorabilia, such as the pram which is also at the gallery. He received a knighthood in the year of his death in 1959.
