The Art of Remembrance

Wednesday 7 October 2026 at 2.00 pm at the Lowther Pavilion. Guests may attend the lecture – £10 pp (pay on door)

Lecturer: Sophie Matthews

Members will remember Sophie from her Music in Art lecture in March 2022 when she delighted us by playing a variety of early woodwind instruments as well as bagpipes and more. This time she will be exploring the powerful art and designs behind the memorials that mark the landscapes of the Western Front

More information is available on Sophie’s website here.

The Lecture:

November 1918 saw the end of an international conflict that saw the highest casualty rate to that date. Every nation had to decide how to honour and remember its dead. This lecture explores the powerful art and design behind the memorials that mark the landscapes of the Western Front. From the solemn minimalism of Edwin Lutyens’ Thiepval Memorial to the poignant symbolism of the Menin Gate and the artistry of battlefield cemeteries, we’ll examine how architecture, sculpture, and landscape design were used to express grief, sacrifice, and national identity in the aftermath of unprecedented loss. Through archival images, design sketches, and on-site photography, the session reveals how these memorials shaped collective remembrance—and continue to speak to us over a century later.

Caption: Mennin Gate By Marc Ryckaert – own work, Creative Commons