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Face values – Why are we fascinated by portraits and portraiture?

Woman in a red dress with short dark brown hair looking directly at the camera

 

Face values – Why are we fascinated by portraits and portraiture?
Art History Lecture Series

Friday 21st April, Friday 28th April, Friday 5th May, Friday 12th May, Friday 19th May
10.15am - 12.15pm
£6 per lecture or £25 for a series ticket
Faces surround us every day. Family, friends, colleagues, celebrities, fantasy figures – they all become meaningful to us through recognition of facial features. When we look into these faces, however, we do not just see each individual’s physical features, but also the person behind it, their character, habits, foibles and traits. To capture the latter as part of a likeness has been an artistic aim since antiquity, bringing forth a genre that remains alive, discussed and debated to this day. Join us for this, our twentieth series, as we explore the fascinating world of portraiture and its multitude of meanings. Lectures will focus on an artwork from the museum’s art collection, providing either an exclusive chance to view it or highlighting works on display.
Includes tea/coffee and biscuits. Booking essential.

Book a series ticket for face values talk

Talking heads: An overview of portraiture from antiquity to Queen Victoria
Friday 21st April
Artwork: Thomas Carlyle - Walter Greaves
Speaker: Dr. Conny Bailey

Book a ticket for talking heads talk

The skull and the hourglass – Understanding emblems and symbols in portraiture
Friday 28th April
Artwork: Charles I
Speaker: Dr. Miriam Gill

Book a ticket for he skull and the hourglass talk

I know that face from somewhere – Portraiture in the Digital Age
Friday 5th May
Artwork: Portrait of Alan Carr - Nathan Wyburn
Speaker: Dr. Conny Bailey

Book a ticket for I know that face talk

The Female Selfie: Self-portraits by Women artists
Friday 12th May
Artwork: Flores no campo - Maria Auxiliadora da Silva
Speaker: Dr. Conny Bailey

Book a ticket for the female selfie talk

Cloth maketh man: Communicating status in portraits accidentally
Friday 19th May
Artwork: The Trial of Queen Catherine of Aragon – Frank O. Salisbury
Speaker: Dr. Conny Bailey

Book a ticket for cloth maketh man talk