In this study morning Andrew shows how the period between1890 and 1959 was probably the most tumultuous and extraordinary in world history, with political and world events having a profound and lasting effect, not only how people lived, but also on fashion and jewellery design.

He guides you through the various decades while illustrating the events and people who created today’s modern world, together with showing how Hollywood had such an impact on that period, focusing on the extraordinary jewels and fashion that was created.

 Andrew shows how the Great Depression and the Second World war had such an extraordinary impact on fashion and jewellery design with the rise of cinema and Hollywood. From the likes of Marlene Dietrich to Grace Kelly, he guides you through the various screen goddesses, how they were portrayed and what they gave to such dazzling effect. He also shows that with the development of advertising, labour saving devices and leisure time, people had more opportunities to enjoy themselves and spend money on the finer things in life, as well as how the political events of the time influenced design and what was worn.

Andrew Prince

Andrew has had a passion for jewellery since he was a small child at the age of nine when his mother took him to the Princely Magnificence exhibition at the V&A showing Renaissance jewels dating from 1500-1630. This was a revelation, dazzled by the splendour and opulence of pieces he decided this was the only thing he wanted to do. In 1987 just before leaving school he went to Geneva to view the astonishing Sotheby’s auction of the Duchess of Windsors jewellery. For the first time he held pieces created by some of the world’s greatest jewellers, using only the finest stones set in designs of outstanding quality.

Later he joined the renowned contemporary jeweller Elizabeth Cage who’s designs were to have a great influence on him. It was at this point he started designing and making jewellery more seriously. His pieces caught the eye of Isabella Blow of Vogue magazine who encouraged him to do more and commissioned pieces to wear to the 1992 opening of Gianni Versace’s flagship store in Bond Street. Andrew then moved to Harrods Fine Jewellery Room where his first collection was commissioned, followed by a Russian inspired collection which was profiled by The London Times.

In 2002 the V&A commissioned a collection of jewels to accompany the Tiaras, Past and Present exhibition and which resulted in film work for him.

2005 he was asked to make tiaras and jewellery for Mrs Henderson Presents.

2009 pieces for The Young Victoria

2012 he was asked to supply a large collection of jewellery for the third and forth series of Downton Abbey.

Wanting to branch out and share his knowledge Andrew has become a popular lecturer on both jewellery and fashion delivering lectures at V&A, Christies Auction House and The Jewellery Historians Society as well as institutions in America.

This Study Morning is not just about jewellery

Lecture 1:  10.00- 11.00 Covers the period 1890 to 1929

11.00- 11.30 Coffee

Lecture 2:  11.30- 12.30 Covers the period 1927 to 1959

 Venue:  Reigate Community Centre

Cost:  £25 per member

Please contact Judith Wade on judithwade58@outlook.com or phone 07771 811791 for all the details and to book.

Join us for our next Special Interest Morning with 2 enthralling lectures on Scandinavian art from lecturer James Vaux.

Until recent decades, the only Nordic artist known internationally was Edvard Munch. But in the last few decades, the world has been discovering the lost treasures of the North. In 2025 alone there were three major exhibitions in London. But Scandinavian painting is still often seen in terms of clichés: a special Nordic light, a particular affinity for nature, or melancholy. This special interest morning introduces some of the region’s finest art from a different angle.

The first talk looks at how Denmark used landscape painting to re-imagine what the country stood for in the 19th Century. It was a time of war, decline and loss, but for art it was a golden age. The lecture also looks at how painting styles changed over the century and the influence of new French painting techniques, leading to the “Modern Breakthrough” at the end of the decade, when new, truly Nordic styles emerged. It also provides thoughts on how to appreciate and decipher landscape paintings.

The second talk discusses the Modern Breakthrough in more detail, looking at paintings across the Nordic region from c. 1880 to 1920, by concentrating on women artists. Many had to fight for their education, defying the odds stacked against them, but became leaders in the art world, highly prized in their day…only to disappear from art history. But now they have been rediscovered, and their works are remarkable, inventive, and technically brilliant. They range from emotive self-portraits to dazzling, saturated depictions of light. It is these female painters who now feature in major Nordic exhibitions and retrospectives all over Europe. You will be introduced to the dozen names you need to know, like Anna Ancher, the subject of a major exhibition at the Dulwich Picture Gallery from November 2025 to March 2026.

The study morning also provides recommendations on where to see the works featured, how to visit the original homes and studios of the artists, and how to find out more about the treasures of Nordic art.

James Vaux

We are delighted to welcome back James Vaux who you may remember from his lecture on Finn Juhl in May 25. He is a researcher and lecturer in Nordic art and design. He lived and worked in Sweden and regularly travels to Scandinavia. As well as being a popular Arts Society lecturer, he has spent the last two years researching and visiting the homes, ateliers and colonies of Nordic artists across the region and the locations where they spent their formative years in France.       

    Image: Harvest Time, Anna Ancher, 1901, Fuglesang Art Museum, Denmark. Photo: Ole Akhøj.                                           

  Timetable

                                            09.45   Assemble

                                            10.00   Lecture 1

                                            11.00   Coffee break

                                            11.30   Lecture 2

                                            12.30   Questions and close

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please note we are using a different venue for our study morning which will be held at Reigate Community Centre (behind the Methodist Church in Reigate High Street)

A few parking places will be available but only for Blue Badge holders. Public car parks are available in West Street or Bancroft Road.

The cost is £30 per member of the Arts Society Reigate and includes two presentations as well as tea or coffee.

 Spaces maybe available for non -members at a cost of £40 per person but we will let you know if this Special Interest Morning can be opened to non -members  

To book your place please contact Judith Wade - 07771811791  

                         or email judithwade58@outlook.com

Please do not pay until you have contacted Judith and

                         confirmed your place.

                  N.B Fees are not refundable unless we are able to resell your ticket.

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of JMW Turner, arguably Britain’s greatest landscape painter. This two-part lecture morning will firstly explore his early influences and what made Turner Turner. Secondly how Turner became a modern master and how contemporary artists have been inspired and influenced by him.

Our Lecturer will be Cindy Polemis. Cindy is an art historian, independent lecturer and art guide. She has a BA in Modern History from Oxford University and as a mature student she went back to university to study first for a BA and then for a Masters in History of Art at Birkbeck College, London University. Before that she spent many years as a radio producer and presenter for the BBC World Service working in news and current affairs. Since 2016 Cindy has worked as a lecturer and an official art guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern. She has also been a trustee at the Museum of the Home, formerly the Geffrye Museum. Cindy has accumulated a wide range of art historical knowledge ranging from 18th European and British art to the contemporary international art scene. 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.

 Timetable for the morning:-

                                            09.45 – Assemble

                                            10.00 – Lecture 1

                                            11.00  - Coffee break

                                            11.30 -  Lecture 2

                                            12.30 -  Questions and close

The study morning will be held at The Old Council Chambers, Reigate Town Hall, Castlefield Road, Reigate RH2 0SH  There may be a few parking places available at the venue, but these will be primarily for Disabled Drivers.

The cost is £30 per member of The Arts Society Reigate and includes two presentations as well as tea or coffee. Spaces may be available for non -members at a cost of £40 per person but we will let you know if this Special Interest Morning can be opened to non -members  

To book your place please contact Judith Wade - 07771811791  

                         or email judithwade@58outlook.com

Please do not pay until you have contacted Judith and

                         confirmed your place.

                  N.B Fees are not refundable unless we are able to resell your ticket.

If you fancy a “Carpet ride to Khiva” or have wondered “How to get down from a Yak “our two lectures will draw on Chris’s experiences of living and working in Central Asia.
He will tell us about his adventures in the desert oasis of Khiva, Uzbekistan and establishing a UNESCO - funded silk carpet workshop, reviving 15th century carpet designs found only in the illuminations of ancient manuscripts and buying natural dyes in the bazaars of Afghanistan.
You will also hear of his further exploits working with yak herders of the High Pamirs in Tajikistan, teaching them to comb their yaks for their cashmere - like down.
Chris will explore the magical protection in nomadic textiles, making natural dyes and the role Stalin played in ending nomadism in Central Asia.

                                                            Timetable
                                            09.45 – Assemble
                                            10.00 – Lecture 1
                                            11.00  - Coffee break
                                            11.30 -  Lecture 2
                                            12.30 -  Questions and close

       The study morning will be held at The Old Council Chambers, Reigate Town Hall, Castlefield Road, RH2 0SH.
       There may be a few parking places available at the venue but these will be primarily for Disabled Drivers.
       The cost is £30 per member (£40 for non-members) and includes 2 presentations as well as tea of coffee.

       To book your place please contact Judith Wade - 07771811791  or email judithwade58@outlook.com
       Please do not pay until you have contacted Judith and confirmed your place.

      N.B Fees are not refundable unless we are able to resell your ticket.

Special Intetest Morning at The Old Council Chambers, Reigate Town Hall, RH2 0SH.

Great Railway Stations:evoking the spirit of romance and adventure.  Please click on the link below for all the details.

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if you think of St Pancreas International or New York Grand Central you imagine long, romantic journeys.  You know they are special places promising excitement and adventure. But there are dozens of other glorious stations in the U.K. and abroad.  Will we take a journey around some of the most evocative and splendid stations in the world.  

We will look not only at the magnificence of the architecture and the brilliant engineering but will discover numerous artworks within the stations and examine many depictions of stations in art - like Claude Monet's Gare de St. Lazare or William Powell Frith's Paddington.

It may sound a bit anoraky, but it's definitely not.  It is lavish, colourful and fun.

India has a long and fascinating history and on this special interest morning we will look at two aspects of how this has impacted on art in the sub-continent. The first lecture will consider Hindu Art in India and the second will look at art of the Mughal world. Hindu Art in India: Throughout history, Hinduism has been woven into the very fabric of life in India - it is both religion and culture. This talk explores the fascinating temple tradition of India which began 2,000 years ago, including exquisite sculpture and paintings created by talented master craftsmen.

Art of the Mughal World: The 16th to 18th centuries in India witnessed the golden artistic period of Islamic Mughal rule, marked by a unique flowering of art and architecture and unrivalled in luxury and opulence. We look at remarkable miniature painting, beautiful artefacts of court life and breathtaking monuments and palaces.

Our lecturer will be Georgina Bexon, art historian specialising in South Asian art who has lived and worked in the UK, USA and Singapore. Her practice includes lecturing, writing, consulting and collecting and she has developed a network of gallery and artist connections in Europe, the USA and India, which she visits regularly. She is a Consultant Art Historian at the Oriental Club in London and an official tour guide at Tate Modern, She holds a BA in Art History from Southampton University, an MA in Arts Management and Policy from City, University of London and an MA in Art History from SOAS, University of London. Georgina is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Asiatic Society. 

The study morning will be held at Woodhatch Place, Cockshot Hill, Reigate. Post code: RH2 8EF. There is parking at the venue.

The cost is £30 per member of the Arts Society Reigate and includes two presentations as well as tea or coffee. Please note that the fee is non refundable unless we are able to resell your ticket to someone on the waiting list.

To book, please email info@theartssocietyreigate.org.uk

Timetable 09.45 – Assemble

               10.00 - Hindu Art in India

               11.00 - Coffee break

               11.30 – Art of the Mughal World

               12.30 – Questions and close

Come and join us for our next Special Interest Morning on Thurdsay 30th March at Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate RH2 8EF.  There is parking at the venue.

Cost - £30 per person which includes 2 presentations as well as tea or coffee.

Timetable 

09.45 - assemble

10.00 - Anglo Saxon England - the first prize

11.00 - Coffee Break

11.30- The Significance of the Ship Burial at Sutton Hoo

12.30 - Questions

THE GLORIES OF ANGLO SAXON ENGLAND by IMOGEN CORRIGAN

It seems that many people over many centuries have wanted to live in and claim England as their own.  Why? For some incoming settlers, England cannot have been the most obvious choice as richer pickings might have been had by heading southwards or eastwards.  Here we will see not only who came, but also why.  We will look at the many great attractions of England, not just the varied and rich pastures and natural wealth beyond belief today, but also - perhaps surprisingly - unparalleled education, justice and hierarchy:  it was a good place to settle upon your heirs.

Once we have established this background we will look at the extraordinarily rich hoard found at Sutton Hoo.  This dates to the early seventh century and tells us a great deal about the wealth of the country at the time, interaction with other cultures and status within Anglo-Saxon society.

This lecture uses images of the treasures found as well as Old English poetry to discuss kingship and power in Anglo-Saxon England.

Our lecturer will be Imogen Corrigan who, after nearly 20 years in the British army, went to the University of Kent to study Anglo-Saxon & Medieval History of Art, graduating with  first class honours, followed by an MPhil from the University of Birmingham.  She works as a freelance lecturer across Britain and Europe as well as lecturing on small cruise ships and running study tours and courses on land.  In addition she has written Stone on Stone: the men who built the cathedrals, published in 2019.  She is also a Freeman of the City of London, being a Member of the Company of Communicators.

Click on the link below for all the details and photos.

Glories of Anglo Saxon England

For further details please contact Catherine Shevlin on shevlinc@aol.com

We are delighted to be able to offer members the chance to join us for a study morning where we will be considering the artists of Lamorna Cove and the Newlyn School.

Please click on the link below for further details of the lectures.

 Cornwall Calling

 The study morning will be held at the new Surrey County Council HQ - Woodhatch Place, Cockshot Hill, Reigate RH2 8BD.

Date 2nd November 2022

Time: 9.30-12.30

Cost £30 per head

Please pay £30 by BACs to the Arts Society Account.
Refence: Cornwall
Sort Code: 40 52 40
Account number: 00033085

Cut off date for bookings is: 
Tuesday 27th September, 2022

There will be a limit on the number of places available so please do book early.