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.

https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheartssocietyreigate.us9.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3D3d0cdca1003f66f408920a810%26id%3D8a889a307d%26e%3D2f502ea696&data=05%7C02%7C%7C25cad00abbd24a70cef708dca0fe0d91%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638562260222065861%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=on5BBrYqpUhnmB0wuZJIPxpHKdoH4sgUaEj2RY5AIEo%3D&reserved=0

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. 

Special Interest Morning - 13 May 2022 10.00am -1.00pm at The Menuhin Hall, Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham KT11 3QQ Tickets cost £20.

Queen Victoria & Prince Albert shared their enthusiasm for art and music that endured throughout the twenty-two years of their marriage.  After Prince Albert's death in 1861, Victoria devoted herself to perpetuating Albert's memory through memorials and monuments throughout Britain.  She also commanded two performances of Gilbert & Sullivan's operas then at the height of their popularity, 'The Mikado' at Balmoral Castle and 'The Gondoliers' at Windsor Castle.

To Book Online: EVENTRBRITE/PASSIONATE PATRONS or contact Jo Edna Corbyn: Email: esaartssociety2020@gmail.com  Tel: 01737 932274

The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter in 1922 was arguably the greatest archaeological discovery of the twentieth century. The name of this boy-king conjures up wonderful imagery and mysterious tales of the pharaohs. An exhibition of the treasures from the tomb is being held at the Saatchi Gallery until May 2020 before the items return to a new museum in Cairo.

We have planned an additional Special Interest Day to coincide with this important exhibition, when our lecturer, Lucia Gahlin, Egyptologist, will lead us through a review of the discovery of the tomb and its treasures.

The day includes three presentations, coffee on arrival, buffet lunch and soft drinks and will cost £35. Tickets will be sold at the lecture on 23rd January 2020.

Timetable

10.00 - Coffee

10.30 - The Pharaoh behind the Tomb

11.30 - Coffee

12.00 - The Tomb: Its design, decoration and discovery

  1.15 -  Lunch

  2.15 -  The Treasures - "Everywhere the glint of gold"

  3.30 -  Day ends

For further information or queries please contact Sue Mewhort on smew279@gmail.com

The festive works of Canaletto and Francesco Guardi, the last great eighteenth century painters of views, shaped the image of Venice in the minds of northern Europeans long after the city’s demise. Subsequently the most important pictures of Venice of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were painted by some of the most progressive artists from Europe and the United States. These included Turner, Manet, James McNeill Whistler, Walter Sickert, John Singer Sargent, Paul Signac, and Monet. Captivated by its unique atmosphere and beauty these artists found new approaches to challenge the run-of-the-mill visual stereotypes, developing their own unique strategies and techniques, marking a turning point in their work and making considerable contributions to the development of modern art.

Our special interest day will comprise three lectures with a buffet lunch, soft drinks and tea and coffee on arrival. Please click on the link below for full details. Tickets are on sale at the next lecture or by email :

http://theartssocietyreigate.org.uk/DocumentStore/Special%20Interest%20Day%2014%20NOV%202019.pdf

Jennifer Toynbee-Holmes is an experienced guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern and lectures at various art societies and institutions. She has a special interest in British and European art of the late 18th, 19th and early 20th century. Having gained an MA in film and television practice, Jennifer had a long-standing career spanning twenty years as a television producer/director making documentaries and factual programmes for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4. She was also a visiting lecturer at Goldsmiths College and Birkbeck, University of London and a senior lecturer at Southampton Solent University in the Faculty of Media, Arts and Society.

All tickets have now been sold and there is a waiting list. Please contact Sue Mewhort on smew279@gmail.com  should you wish to go on the waiting list.

We are very pleased to welcome Jane Angelini once again to lead our special interest day. Jane presented a very successful day on Sicily in 2017 and will now take us on a journey through another of other her great specialisms, Russia.

We will examine early Russian art and architecture as we review the evolution of the Russian people from their misty beginnings as Viking Traders in the 8th century to Prince Valdimir of Kiev’s adoption of the Orthodox branch of Christianity in the 10th century. We will continue our day with the epic city founded in defiance of nature in a region of swampy marshland as Peter the Great’s “window to the West”, Saint Petersburg. Tickets costs £35 and include three presentations, coffee and biscuits on arrival, buffet lunch and soft drinks. The event will take place at our usual venue and the timetable is as follows:

10.00am - Coffee

10.30am - Russia's Misty Beginnings

11.45am - Holy Rus

1.00pm   - Lunch 

2.00pm   - St. Petersburg : Venice of the North

3.30pm   - Day ends