20th century | ArtHistorical Events

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Library of On Demand Talks
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the 20th Century

The Artistic Legacy of Mondriaan: An Evolution into Abstraction
Tue, Oct 17
Who doesn't know Mondriaan's geometrical paintings in primary colours? His evolution into abstraction didn't happen overnight though, and it is exactly by studying his evolution that abstract art becomes more relatable.
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Kathe Kollwitz and her printmaking methods
On Demand
In the work of Käthe Kollwitz, it is hard to see anything but the subject. Dramatic and, more often than not, harrowing, Kollwitz’s subjects demand our attention. We'll be focusing on her innovative & ever-evolving printmaking practice, embedded in experimentation & German art theory of the time.
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Contemporary Sculpture
On Demand
This lecture reveals how contemporary artists have forged new territories. Please join Sophie as she explains two important artist: RACHEL WHITEREAD- revealing the negative space and CORNELIA PARKER- connecting objects with the fragility of the human condition. more info below
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Peggy Guggenheim, a collector with flair
On Demand
Peggy Guggenheim was a progressive and forward-thinking patron & collector. Her singular career spanned the modern era, linking the Dada and Surrealist movements with Abstract Expressionism. Time for a talk on this extraordinary arts patron!
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Art of Ukraine: 'The Art of a Nation'
On Demand
We will consider how international popularised styles in the late 19 & 20th Centuries were used to define the characteristics of a Nation. more info below
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Sculpture: Hard stone & Soft power: the Metamorphosis of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
On Demand
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George Grosz's 'Sozialkritik'
On Demand
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Pioneering Female Photographers
On Demand
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Surrealist Women: not muse, not object
On Demand
Women artists have often been misunderstood as secondary members of the surrealist movement. Re-examining surrealism shows us that women artists were an integral part of the movement. This talk introduces the work of these women. more info below
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Tensions and Contradictions in Cezanne’s work
On Demand
Paul Cezanne- the father of modern art- a man who said he would astonish Paris with an apple and did just that. His still lives, landscapes & nudes broke the rulebooks on composition & form. He revolutionised the way we see, creating a new visual language which paved the way to Cubism & abstraction
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Northern Lights: four leading northern European artists
On Demand
Cindy explores the eerie and sublime landscapes of Norwegian artist Nicolas Astrup, the haunting portraits of Finnish painter Helen Schjerfbeck, the extraordinary abstract shapes and swirls of Swedish artist Hilma af Klint, and the fantastical folkloric images of Lithuania’s M.K. Ciurlionis.
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Intro to the Interbellum
On Demand
Europe was shaken up by two wars during the 20th century greatly influencing how artists saw their world, their country, humanity and what defined them. We will look at some of the movements born out of these monumental developments.
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Intro to isms of the early 20th century
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During the early Modern Period (1905-1915) Europe was characterized by an astonishing variety of 'isms' styles & movements. We will look at the new ways in which artists tried to express how they saw the world around them, and how the quick succession of 'isms' led to a completely new type of art.
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Intro to Contemporary art, Post WWII art
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Art has gone through considerable changes in the production, exhibition and reception of art, creating the opportunity for artists to question how we interpret familiar things and what art is. This talk will give you an overview of art produced in the wake of WW2
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Intro to contemporary art
On Demand
Contemporary art often frustrates our wish to understand what we are looking at, finding it hard to relate to art produced in our own times. This talk will try and introduce some concepts, themes, main players and recurring points of discussion.
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Master Pieces: Hamilton- Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?
On Demand
As part of the Master Pieces series I will be discussing 'Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?' an iconic Pop Art collage by the English artist Richard Hamilton in this 1 hour lecture.
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Japonisme: the influence of Japan on western art and design in the late 19th early 20th centuries
On Demand
Following the 1850s opening of Japan to foreigners the west got their 1st taste of Japanese art & design which sparked an influence far wider than the Japanese themselves would realise. This lecture will show examples from Degas to vanGogh to decorative arts such as ceramics and textiles.
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American Women Collectors, The lives of Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, Irene Leache and Annie Wood
On Demand
Tosca Ruggieri will look at how Wolfe established herself as a prominent tastemaker and artistic arbiter in New York, and how friends Wolfe and Leach filled a cultural vacuum left by the Civil War! more info below
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