'Reading' Great Paintings 3 (special discount)
Event Details
Join the London Literary Salon at Tate Britain for another study in our series ‘Reading Great Paintings.’ First, we will explore the portrayal of women in British art with paintings by John Everett Millais, J.M. Waterhouse, Gwen John and John Opie. Then we will focus on J. M. W. Turner, a unique and visionary artist. This contrast will allow us to explore the variety in the ‘language’ of painting.
We will discuss Turner’s later work, paintings primarily about colour, light and movement. Looking at these artworks, you can understand why some critics see Turner as a precursor of 20th century abstract art. Millais’ Ophelia and Waterhouse’s The Lady of Shalott take a different approach. They depict tragic literary themes, and we will explore their visual narratives and what they might reveal about women in Victorian England. Gwen John’s Self Portrait and John Opie’s Mary Wollstonecraft show women in quite another light, and this should make for an interesting discussion.
The study will be based on shared observation and enquiry, led by Sean Forester, a classically trained painter and literary discussion leader. We will spend approximately two and a half hours viewing paintings in the gallery (but please allow a little flexibility, we would like to allow our discussion to ‘breathe’). Our visit will be followed by refreshments in the Tate café, which you are warmly invited to join. We trust that after an enjoyable afternoon you will have a deeper understanding of form and content in painting and of how artists use drawing, colour, composition and brushwork. You can find out more on the padlet for this study.
STUDY DETAILS:
- Single meeting in-person study at Tate Britain, led by Sean Forester
- Friday 22 September, 2.00-4.30 pm followed by discussion and refreshments in the Tate cafe (likely duration one hour)
- The paintings we will study: John Everett Millais Ophelia; J.M. Waterhouse The Lady of Shalott; Gwen John Self Portrait; John Opie Mary Wollstonecraft; J. M. W. Turner Peace – Burial at Sea; Snow Storm – Steam-Boat off a Harbour’s Mouth; Norham Castle, Sunrise; Fishermen at Sea.
- £75 (including notes and refreshments)
