Power, Propaganda And Men In Tights: English Art Under The Tudors

Wed 7th March at 2pm

Linda Smith

Linda Smith holds two first class degrees in Art History. She is an experienced lecturer and guide at Tate Britain, Tate Modern and the Dulwich Picture Gallery. She lectures to Secondary School audiences and Independent Arts Societies. Linda led an outstanding Special Interest day on 20th Century Sculpture at Lytham Hall in April 2010 – our first at Fylde DFAS. We are very exciting about welcoming her back.

This lecture looks at English painting during the so-called “Long Sixteenth Century” ie the tumultuous reigns of the five Tudor monarchs. Significant artistic developments were made during the period, largely by talented immigrants such as Hans Holbein and Marcus Gheeraerts. Important works by these and other artists will be examined ,paying particular attention to the enigmatic and elaborate symbolism. Portraiture dominated the period, and images of the great monarchs and personalities of the age are compared and contrasted in terms of the functions they were intended to fulfil. Other genres like religious subjects and the early beginnings of landscape painting are also featured. The talk ties the works firmly to their political, social and personal context, and will also address the intriguing issue of why the degree of naturalism used in painting varied widely during the period.