Visual Arts studies booking now:

In 2025, ahead of our five-day travel study in Paris this autumn, we continue Sean Forester’s Looking at Pictures Salon with two new studies focusing on 19th century art in France. Walking through the halls of the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay we see masterpieces by David and Ingres, Gericault and Delacroix, Courbet and Manet, Monet and Degas. What a fascinating range of styles and techniques! With the political and social tumult that characterised 19th century France, art movements followed fast upon one another: Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism and Impressionism. Participants will explore all of this together, discussing both the formal qualities and the emotions and ideas to be found in these remarkable works of art.  

Part II: Art in France 1870-1900 

The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King gives a vivid picture of the Belle Epoque and the personalities of two very different artists: Ernest Meissonier and Edouard Manet. The topics of our meetings will be as follows: 

1.  Historical painting, Meissonier
2.  Realism and Naturalism 
3.  Monet and Impressionism 
4.  Manet, Degas
5.  Rodin and late 19th century sculpture  
6.  Women artists in Paris

JOINING DETAILS:

• Six-week study on Zoom led by Sean Forester
• Thursdays, 4.00-6.00 pm (UK)
• 15, 22, 29 May, 12,19, 26 June 2025 (N.B. no meeting on 5 June)
• Reference text: The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade that Gave the World Impressionism by Ross King, ISBN-13‏: ‎ 978-1844134076
• £180 for six meetings

This summer at the British Museum, the exhibition Hiroshige: artist of the open road focuses on the great Japanese printmaker Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858): ‘From fashionable figures and energetic city views to remote landscapes and impressions of the natural world, Hiroshige captured many aspects of life in the Japan of his time.’ To complement the exhibition, the LitSalon offers an online study of Japanese Art. We will look at the masters of Japanese prints, Hiroshige and Hokusai, as well as a short overview of Japanese Art. From the Heian period to the Edo, beauty infused nearly every aspect of cultural life: Zen temples and gardens, ceramics, tea ceremonies, haiku poetry, calligraphy, woodblock prints, and dress (kimonos and netsuke).

If you love European art and are curious about Asian art, this study is for you! Find out for yourself why artists such as Van Gogh, Whistler and Monet were so inspired by the arts of Japan.

JOINING DETAILS:

• Five meeting study of Japanese art including the print-makers Hiroshige and Hokusai, led by Sean Forester on Zoom.
• Tuesdays 6.00-8.00 pm (UK)
• 29 July & 5, 12, 19, 26 August 2025
• £150 for five two-hour meetings
• Recommended books:  Hiroshige by Adele Schlombs, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-3836519632; How to Look at Japanese Art by Stephen Addiss, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1626542822.
• We also hope to arrange an informal visit to the exhibition at the British Museum in early September, shortly before it ends. Please email us using the subject line ‘Hiroshige visit’ if you are interested in joining the group visit.
• Use this link to share details of the study.

For September 2025, the London Literary Salon invites you to join a five-day study visiting the Paris of Proust and some of the most extraordinary visual artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Beauty, visual art and sense of place are central to A la Recherche du Temps Perdu, and the novel truly comes alive in the author’s beloved Paris. This unique study will be most suitable for those who have read some or all of Proust, but if you are keen to join this trip and have not yet read any of the novel please contact us to discuss. Toby Brothers will lead our literary discussions and Sean Forester will guide the group as we look closely at painting and sculpture. From Classicism and Romanticism, to Realism, Impressionism and Art Nouveau, the art of 19th and early 20th century France has something for everyone!

Ahead of our visit to Paris (and great preparation for anyone considering joining us) Sean is leading two online studies on Art in France: Part 1 begins on 20 February, with Part 2 following in May (both can be booked separately). Toby will offer a special lecture and discussion Why Read Proust in 2025? and her next In Search of Lost Time study begins in September.

We will be based at the very lovely Proust-dedicated Hôtel Littéraire de Swann, where we have negotiated special rates for participants.

Please note that the hotel cost, travel and transport, food and drink are NOT included in the Salon price of £600 for the five-day visit.

In addition to discussions of the work of Marcel Proust in relation to Paris, we will have two sessions on French art as well as visits to the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Musée Rodin and Musée Carnavalet. We will keep you updated as we finalise our day-to-day programme, but we hope also to include either a visit to the Musée de l’Orangerie or a tour of the Opéra Garnier, and we will try to include a walk in the Jardin du Luxembourg and even a drawing lesson en plein air before we leave.

To get a flavour of previous Salon visits to Paris, read Sue Fox’s blog post about Proust in Paris with Toby in 2023!

JOINING DETAILS:

• Share details of this study using this link
• Five-day study in Paris led by Toby Brothers and Sean Forester
• 10-14 September 2025, £600.00 for the study and background notes
• Additional costs: participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel and insurance, accommodation, food and drink. We have negotiated special rates at the hotel for Salon clients and we will arrange group bookings for entrance to museums and galleries which will be charged as extras before departure (at reduced rates wherever possible).
• Some knowledge of the work of Marcel Proust is required to enjoy the literary discussions, please email us if you are interested in joining but have not yet read In Search of Lost Time.
• Although not required, Sean Forester’s two-part Looking at Pictures: Art in France (Part 1 and Part 2) provides an invaluable introduction to this travel study.
• Payment: we understand that you may not want to pay the entire charge at once, so we ask for an initial (non-returnable) deposit of £50 on registration, followed by the balance of £550 by 31 May 2025.
• Refunds: please note that any refunds will be entirely at the discretion of the London Literary Salon, dependent on our ability to fill the place, and will be subject to a charge to cover our administration costs.