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Lectures by Mariska

  • Art and History of Amsterdam
    Art and History of Amsterdam
    Wed, Oct 04
    Online Webinar
    Oct 04, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT+1
    Online Webinar
    Oct 04, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT+1
    Online Webinar
    A 'Golden Age' emerged between 1580-1672 making Amsterdam an international hub of different cultures & beliefs, art, exploration, trade and finance. Join Mariska as she introduce the history of the wonderful city!
  • The Artistic Legacy of Mondriaan: An Evolution into Abstraction
    The Artistic Legacy of Mondriaan: An Evolution into Abstraction
    Tue, Oct 17
    Online Webinar
    Oct 17, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT+1
    Online Webinar
    Oct 17, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT+1
    Online Webinar
    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.
  • Frans Hals: The Golden Age is Having a Party
    Frans Hals: The Golden Age is Having a Party
    Fri, Oct 27
    Hybrid (online or in person)
    Oct 27, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM GMT+1
    Hybrid (online or in person), Quadrant Rd, Richmond TW9 1DH, UK
    Oct 27, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM GMT+1
    Hybrid (online or in person), Quadrant Rd, Richmond TW9 1DH, UK
    The Frans Hals exhibition at the National Gallery, London, is a feast of life itself. Portraits of people being themselves, laughing, enjoying each other's company, children being children, sitters getting distracted while being painted and interacting with a world outside the frame. Mariska unpicks
  • Master Pieces: Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne,byJean Auguste Dominique Ingres
    Master Pieces: Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne,byJean Auguste Dominique Ingres
    Thu, Nov 09
    Online Webinar
    Nov 09, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Nov 09, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Not a public commission, but Ingres’ own invention, this painting is a reference to the cult of Napoleon and the use of every single piece of iconography available to show of his legitimacy as a ruler. Please join this talk on Napoleon, neo-classical art, propaganda, borrowing motifs & more!
  • Flower Power: Floral Still Life Paintings of the Dutch Golden Age
    Flower Power: Floral Still Life Paintings of the Dutch Golden Age
    Thu, Nov 16
    Online Webinar
    Nov 16, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Nov 16, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    It's time to uncover the powerful paintings and masterful artists who expertly blended botany, geography, and iconography in ways even contemporary audiences can enjoy.
  • Fashion & Makeup in the arts
    Fashion & Makeup in the arts
    Thu, Nov 30
    Online Webinar
    Nov 30, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Nov 30, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Join us for a one hour introduction to the history of fashion and make up as depicted in the arts!
  • The Night Watch: Analizing Rembrandt's Greatest Masterpiece
    The Night Watch: Analizing Rembrandt's Greatest Masterpiece
    Fri, Dec 08
    Online webinar
    Dec 08, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT+1
    Online webinar
    Dec 08, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT+1
    Online webinar
    How does this single painting capture all that is great about Rembrandt van Rijn as an artist, as well as the Dutch Golden Age? It's time to uncover one of the world's most innovative and daring paintings like never before.
  • 'Our Lord in the Attic; museum'- best kept secret in Amsterdam!
    'Our Lord in the Attic; museum'- best kept secret in Amsterdam!
    Thu, Dec 14
    Online Webinar
    Dec 14, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Dec 14, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Overlooked by many tourists, this little gem gives so much when it comes to the history of Amsterdam. Located in the oldest part of the city, it shows how houses on the canals were built, how different religions lived and practised, and so much more!
  • Jan van Eyck: God is in the Detail
    Jan van Eyck: God is in the Detail
    Thu, Dec 28
    Online Webinar
    Dec 28, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Dec 28, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Van Eyck included breathtaking details in his paintings, often hard to spot with the naked eye from where we view the paintings. However, new technology has given us the chance to focus in on some of the extraordinary details he included in his art and the pleasure he must have taken in executing it
  • The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 1: Christian Iconography
    The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 1: Christian Iconography
    Thu, Jan 04
    Online Webinar
    Jan 04, 2024, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Jan 04, 2024, 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    We'll take a closer look at the dominance of Christian symbolism in European art, from where it originated and how it brought meaning to art that was meant to spread the ideology of the Christian faith.
  • The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 2: Colours
    The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 2: Colours
    Thu, Jan 11
    Online Webinar
    Jan 11, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Jan 11, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Please join Mariska as she examines different works of art to uncover how different artists, across different artistic styles and countries, have used the same colours to give symbolic meaning to their art.
  • Mind your Mannerism
    Mind your Mannerism
    Fri, Jan 12
    Online Webinar
    Jan 12, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Jan 12, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    For a short period of time in the 16th century a small number of artists pushed the boundaries of how far one can push and shape the human form, working in an unnatural and affected "manner" (maniera). Join Mariska as she discusses this movement and the audience for which it was created.
  • The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 3: Geometric Shapes
    The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 3: Geometric Shapes
    Thu, Jan 18
    Online webinar
    Jan 18, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online webinar
    Jan 18, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online webinar
    In this 1.5 h lecture we will look at how specific geometric shapes and proportions have held important symbolic and sacred meanings since ancient times and across many cultures in European art.
  • The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 4: Objects
    The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 4: Objects
    Thu, Jan 25
    Online Webinar
    Jan 25, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Jan 25, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    During this 1.5 h lecture we will see how objects are often used within the arts as an attribute of gods and goddesses, saints and sinners, and personifications of concepts. Knowing the symbolic meaning of these objects will help you instantly decypher the meaning of the work of art.
  • ‘Me too’ in Dutch 17th century art
    ‘Me too’ in Dutch 17th century art
    Fri, Jan 26
    Richmond Library Annexe or Online
    Jan 26, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM GMT
    Richmond Library Annexe or Online, Quadrant Rd, Richmond TW9 1DH, UK
    Jan 26, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM GMT
    Richmond Library Annexe or Online, Quadrant Rd, Richmond TW9 1DH, UK
    Inappropriate advances, young girls being solicited by older men, there are plenty of Dutch Golden Age genre painting which make for uncomfortable watching. Join us to interpret how why these paintings were made and how 17th audiences would have viewed them.
  • The start of museums and public collections
    The start of museums and public collections
    Fri, Jan 26
    Online Webinar
    Jan 26, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Jan 26, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Mouseion (greek) is a place where the 9 muses presided over the arts and sciences. We will be discussing the history of collections from the very first museum by Ennigaldi-Nanna (circa 530 BCE) to the 19th century public museums driven by civic pride and the free education movement.
  • The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 5: Allegories
    The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 5: Allegories
    Thu, Feb 01
    Online Webinar
    Feb 01, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Feb 01, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    This lecture will look at ways in which complex and abstract ideas such as love, life, death, virtue and justice have been represented in the arts using symbols.
  • The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 6: Animals
    The Hidden Symbols in European Art, Part 6: Animals
    Thu, Feb 08
    Online Webinar
    Feb 08, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    Feb 08, 2024, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
    Online Webinar
    In this 1.5h lecture we will examine what animals can represent in a work of art — from being used as vehicles for religious allegory or moral instruction to zodiacal symbols.

The Low Countries and the Start of Landscape Painting

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This unique genre was first fully explored as an individual subject in the Low Countries.

The Dutch had a particular relationship with their land, reclaiming it from the sea and becoming independent as a republic.

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We will discuss its beginnings, its development, and its influences on later artists in other countries.

History of Landscape Painting in the Low Countries

Symbolism, Iconography and the Hidden Meaning in Art

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Discover the deeper meaning hidden in the work of paintings of the past. Learn how to read the secrets of different objects, forms, shapes and colours included on the canvas. As the centuries passed, a language of symbols developed so that artists could tell stories with deeper and more intricate emphasis.

 

This lecture, or lecture series, will cover a wide range of art of diverse kinds and origins, and examine the fascinating and complex range of different symbols no longer recognised by modern audiences, making it easier for you to interpret works of art.

Symbolism, Iconography and the hidden meaning in art

Brueghel & Rubens, a fruitful partnership

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In the early 17th century 2 admired painters teamed up to profit from each other’s strengths: Peter Paul Rubens painted the figures while Jan Brueghel the Elder the landscapes, flora and fauna.

 

Join Mariska as she discusses this fruitful partnership and looks at some of their most mesmerizing works of art.

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Master Pieces: David by Michelangelo

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These one hour talks will take the time to properly look at some of the most well-known and admired pieces of art by talking not just about what our eyes can see, but highlighting the artist, the story being told, the time in which it was made, the art historical period, the techniques used, the size and material, the patron and places it was displayed.

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David is possibly one of Michelangelo's most recognisable and most copied works of art, but it is also often misunderstood. This lecture will rectify!

Master Pieces: David by Michelangelo

Art Nouveau in Europe and America

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For a short moment in time, between Arts & Crafts and Modernity, elegant curvy lines and patterns inspired by nature dominated a new type of art which decorated buildings, interiors and decorative objects.

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We will look at some of the most aesthetically revolutionary names from this period: Horta, Gaudi, Tiffany, and many more!

Art Nouveau in Europe and America

Very strange works of art

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Ever noticed UFO's in paintings or aliens on old churches, Mary spanking Christ turning his buttock red, women with beards, people with multiple heads, a saint with horns, Christ looking like an old man?

 

I have collected an incredible selection of intriguing and often funny art works over the years, all peculiar, but many with a perfectly normal explanation (except for this one maybe...). 

Very strange works of art

How to distinguish western art historical periods.

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Want to be able to recognise what made Renaissance art so different from art made during the Middle Ages? Instantly be able to pinpoint the difference between the Renaissance, the Baroque, Mannerism and Rococo? And understand what happened in art history after the French Revolution?

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This whirlwind lecture focusses on the difference in the subsequent styles which make up the canon of western art history so that you will be able to tell when and where an artwork was made!

How to distinguish western art historical periods

Women and the Dutch Republic

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In 17th century Holland woman were relatively emancipated. They could read, go out on their own, work and fight alongside men, continue their husband's business when he was away or after his death, had the right to enter contracts and control their own dowries. 

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This lecture will discuss these modern women alongside artwork from that period.

Women in the Dutch Republic

Mondriaan's Evolution into Abstraction

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Mondriaan is forever known in history for the artist who created the extremely recognisable elementary colour field paintings. He started creating these kind of paintings around 1920. What many do not realise is that by then he had already 30 years of being a figurative artist under his belt.

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This lecture follows this evolution, his self discovery, and his belief in a new world order.

Mondriaan's Evolution into Abstraction

Early 20th Century and the role of women as consumers of the new type of art

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From the early 20th century we see women using art collecting as a means to establish independent identities. We follow the founders of 4 of New York City’s most iconic museums as they emerged in Manhattan between 1929-39:
 
the Museum of Modern Art,
the Whitney,
the Frick Collection, and
the Guggenheim Museum.

World-famous, but all founded by now relatively unknown women.

Female Patrons of Art

The Art of Banksy

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Alongside his street art, Banksy has been creating works for sale for more than 20 years. This British contemporary artist might seem like a graffiti artist living for a laugh and a headline, but the artworld has caught up with his popular appeal, and Banksy has properly earned his place in art history. Truly independent, highly socially involved, and with a dry British wit, it is time to introduce the artist and his work!

The Art of Banksy

The Difficulty with Rembrandt

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For all his talent, this rather unpleasant, over ambitious, over confident man actually lived through some tough times personally. But he also lived through some of the most interesting times during the Golden Age of the Republic of the Netherlands. 

Amsterdam was beaming with wealth, different cultures, new and exotic objects, foods and materials and an optimism and self belief unequaled anywhere else in Europe. Some of this is captured by Rembrandt, but his art is also one of his own personal evolution into disillusionment.

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This lecture will showcase the beauty and suffering, the nice and the ugly, the exciting and the disappointing.

The Difficulty with Rembrandt

Master Pieces:

Marriage Portrait of Isaac Massa and Beatrix van der Laen by Frans Hals

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One of the most charming paintings in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, this double portrait shows Hals at his best: depicting people at their most relaxed, most approachable. Painted with his virtuous style of bold brushstrokes so admired by the Impressionist.

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This one hour talk will look at the artist, the sitters, the style, the period, the symbolism, the influence and the uniqueness of this painting.

Master Pieces: Wedding portrait by Frans Hall

Master Pieces:

Madame X by Singer Sargent

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This painting almost killed Sargent's career, but it is fitting that it now proudly hangs in the Metropolitan Museum as it was America which at the turn of the century had much more progressive ideas about art and about women than Europe did!

We will look at the sitter, the artist, the scandal, the impact, the time in which it was made and how Sargent's style sits within this period.

Master Pieces: Madame X by Singer Sargent
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