This light-hearted but informative study day examines the enormous changes in our homes over a hundred-year period. It encompasses aspects of middle-class household taste - from Victorian clutter to the psychedelic ‘throw away’ furnishings of the 1970s. The three sessions look at how social upheaval, war and technological advances transformed our houses. From the 1880s, when each interior was governed by strict convention and the home was regarded as a shrine to family life, we see how change gradually came about. The coming of electricity and central heating altered appearance and comfort and other major design developments changed our interiors.
Session One. ‘Clutter and Plush’ 1880-1914
This first session looks at the home of the late Victorian and Edwardian era, which most of us imagine as being over-crowded with displays of spindly tables and chairs and endless ornaments. The period though, brought distinct phases and influences and we examine the furnishings of the Aesthetic Movement, Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts Movement. New technology such as electric light, reliable indoor plumbing created changes that developed into the homes we know today.
Session Two. ‘Between the Wars’ 1918-1939
The twenty or so years between the First and Second World Wars brought massive social upheaval. Economic depression and the disappearance of domestic servants affected the appearance and running of many middle-class homes. Changes in style from the continent brought us Art Deco and the clean functionality of modernism.
Session Three. ‘From Austerity to Laura Ashley’ 1945-1980
The post-war period saw the rise of products as Formica and Marley Tiles, transforming our kitchens, and the era of ‘Do-it-yourself’ had begun. The 1960s and 70s witnessed an explosion of colourful and imaginative interiors, as well as shagpile carpets and Avocado bathrooms! With the fashions for stripped pine kitchens and ‘vogue’ Victoriana, fashion seemed to have turned full circle.
We finish the day by looking at trends since 1980, and contemplate what might come next?
Matthew Williams holds degrees from the Universities of Nottingham and Manchester and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. A recognised expert on the work of the Victorian designer William Burges, Matthew was Curator of Cardiff Castle for nearly 30 years. His most recent publication is a major book 'Cardiff Castle and the Marquesses of Bute', published in 2019. A long-standing member of The Arts Society, Matthew became an accredited lecturer in 2001.
Lecture One-Portraiture: “Here’s Looking at You”
From ancient coins and painted images portraits have been used to show power and status, beauty and virtue, wealth and taste, and psychological angst. We look at how portraiture has changed throughout history and examine how the genre enables us to communicate with both past and present in exciting and surprising ways.
Lecture 2- Miniatures: Tiny Painted Treasures Close to our Hearts
From diplomatic gifts to tokens of love, miniatures were commissioned as small portraits which could be held in the hand or placed inside lockets creating an intimate relationship between the owner and the subject. We look at the history of these tiny treasures of art.
Lecture 3- Every Picture Tells a Story:
The Story of Omai: A case study examining this world famous portrait which continues to tell the complex story of race and the legacy of empire in Britain.
This lecture will focus on Joshua Reynolds’ 1776 portrait of Omai one of the great icons in the history of British art. Who was he and why does this work mark such a key moment in the stylistic development of portraiture in the 18th century? A work which bears witness to the story of empire, exploration and exploitation, we unravel the history of Omai and the importance of the portrait in understanding our colonial past.
Cindy Polemis is an art historian, independent lecturer and art guide. She has a BA in Modern History from Oxford University and a BA and a Masters in History of Art at Birkbeck College, London University. Before that she was a radio producer and presenter for the BBC World Service. Since 2016 Cindy has worked as an official art guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern. She is particularly keen to draw parallels with art and social history and her lectures are accessible and engaging, drawing out the stories of art and artists which are steeped in human emotions and experiences which we all share.
For centuries, rare and desirable luxury goods were transported to Europe from China. This far-distant and seemingly fabulous land of gardens, temples and sacred mountains, its culture rich in myth and legend, was known in the West as Cathay. Spanish galleons sailed on trade winds across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, their cargoes of treasures such as lustrous Chinese blue and white porcelain destined for the Habsburg Court. Portuguese carracks and Dutch and English ships of the East India Companies followed different trade winds across the Indian Ocean, laden with vast quantities of porcelain as well as magnificent silks, lacquer screens, wallpaper, fans and enigmatic figures of deities. Tea was introduced to Europe by the 17th Century and became the most lucrative commodity in an ever-expanding trade. Coveted by princely collectors, precious artefacts from China adorned palaces across Europe. By the mid-18th Century, the popularity of these luxury arts from China inspired a passion for chinoiserie: the imaginative recreation of a fanciful vision of Cathay in porcelain, silver, furniture and architecture.
LECTURE 1: WINDS OF THE DRAGON ON COBALT SEAS: THE STORY OF CHINESE PORCELAIN
The dragon in ancient China was a mighty yet auspicious creature of myth and legend. Cavorting among vaporous clouds, it controlled the heavenly forces of wind, rain and water. The dragon symbolised China's emperors, the powerful Sons of Heaven. Skilled potters in China's great porcelain city of Jingdezhen developed fine imperial porcelain wares painted with motifs ranging from dramatic five-clawed dragons to more delicate flowers, birds and butterflies. At first, the brilliant white backgrounds were painted in vibrant underglaze blue made from cobalt oxide but later, a range of pigments could reproduce the subtle colours of nature. Fine porcelain was sought after by generations of Chinese emperors and connoisseurs. As the export trade developed, millions of porcelain wares made in a remote region of China found homes in Europe ranging from the grandest royal palaces in Spain and England to modest 17th Century mercantile houses in the Netherlands. These porcelain wares - from vases to bowls and from plates to garden seats - were carried on ships propelled by trade winds on seas of a colour which matched the coveted blue and white Chinese porcelains.
LECTURE 2: LUXURY ARTS FROM A LAND OF MOUNTAINS AND FLOWERS: TEA AND SILK, LACQUER AND WALLPAPER
Ancient Chinese legends credit the origin of tea-drinking to a mythical figure called Shen Nong, a herbalist who travelled to China's mountainous regions and discovered the health-giving properties of the wild camellia sinensis bush. Other traditions link tea to Buddhist monks, who infused the caffeine-rich leaves in hot water as an aid to meditation. To this day, extensive tea plantations can be found in the vicinity of remote temples. Tea was valued in Chinese culture as an invigorating drink and was introduced to Europe during the 17th Century, where it became a popular although very costly commodity. In the ever-growing trade between China and the West, ships were packed deep with porcelain wares, ballast for cargoes of rare luxury goods such as the all-important tea alongside silk fabrics, fans, painted mirrors and wallpaper. These can still be admired in museums, palaces and country houses today. Some of the most impressive and imposing objects of desire were lacquer screens, confusingly known in Europe as Coromandel after the Indian coast from which they were trans-shipped. Often decorated with scenes of mountains, flowers and antique objects, these were sought after by collectors ranging from the 18th Century nobility to Coco Chanel in 20th Century Paris.
LECTURE 3: VISIONS OF ENCHANTED LANDS: CHINOISERIE IN EUROPEAN ART AND DESIGN
The vision of Cathay related in The Travels of Marco Polo has captivated western readers since the time of its publication in Venice c.1300. A later and highly imaginative story of adventure called 'Travels of Sir John Mandeville' only enhanced China's reputation as a land of fantasy. Apart from fleeting accounts written by Jesuit missionaries and ambassadors, the land of China within its borders of seas, mountains and a defensive wall remained unknown. Chinese craftsmen have long traditions of making exquisite works of art, with decoration inspired by the natural world and beliefs in the mountains of the immortals. Potters and painters conjured imaginary worlds of legend, fairy tales and mountain lore on porcelain, painted silks, lacquer and wallpaper for export to the West. Chinoiserie was a whimsical and fanciful European response to the exotic designs on these luxury exports, mixed with a flavour of Japan and India. Chinoisere influenced European decorative arts, architecture and garden design from the 17th Century baroque to the 18th Century rococo periods. Some famous examples of chinoiserie are the porcelains of Meissen, Bow and Worcester, japanned cabinets, furniture in Chippendale style, the interiors of Claydon House and Saltram House, the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, the pagoda at Kew and the tea-house at Potsdam.
ANNE HAWORTH After taking a degree in Modern History at Durham University, Anne Haworth worked for 14 years as a European and Asian ceramics specialist in the head offices of Christie's and Bonham's auctioneers, during which time she appraised many private collections in Britain and Europe. In 1995, she left England for a seven-year residency in Shanghai, China, researching ceramics and visiting ancient kiln sites. Anne returned to London in 2002 to catalogue Chinese porcelain at Kensington Palace. She now lectures for the Arts Society, the V&A, the Queen’s Gallery and other main London museums.