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Members should by now have received a copy of our 2026 newsletter in the post, click here to read the online version.
SOCIETY EVENTS
Our next members lecture, is ‘I was a rich man’s plaything: Pop art in Britain’ on Wednesday March 4th at 18:00. This is an online Zoom event. This is a free event for members but booking is required.
Places are available on our upcoming study events:
The History and Art of Heraldry, a study day at The Linnean Society of London with Adam Tuck, Lancaster Herald, on Wednesday 11th February 2026.
Understanding the Italian Renaissance: History, Society and the Rise of the Artist, a 5 week online course with Dr Dorigen Caldwell on Thursdays from 12th February to 19th March 2026 (please note there are no lectures on 12th March).
Why was there such an outpouring of exceptional art in Italy from the late 14th until the 16th century – the period we call The Renaissance? Dr Dorigen Caldwell’s zoom course ‘Understanding the Italian Renaissance’ will extend your knowledge, understanding – and appreciation of the period.
Michaelina Wautier, a study day at The Linnean Society of London with Dr Adam Sammut, on Thursday 16th April 2026.
NEW Forging the Baroque: histories of Neapolitan art in the long 17th century, a three-day online course on Tuesday 2nd, Wednesday 3rd and Thursday 4th June 2026, 11.00am to 1pm with Dr Giulia Martina Weston.
NEW Barbizon and the Making of Modern Landscape – a three-day online course on 6th, 7th and 8th October 14.00-16.00 with Jo Rhymer.
All the above are in-person study events (except Understanding the Italian Renaissance, Forging the Baroque and Barbizon and the Making of Modern Landscape) and are also offered on a post-event recording only basis, with recordings available to all attendees for 4 weeks.
There are also many upcoming study visits and walks:
British Library Conservation Studio Tour on Monday 9th February and Monday 23rd February. These events are now waiting list only.
College of Arms Visit, at the College of Arms, with Adam Tuck, Lancaster Herald, on Thursday 26th of March. Waiting list only.
Visit to St George’s Chapel and Archives, Windsor on Friday 24th April.
Visit to Canterbury Cathedral with Dr Sally Dormer on Wednesday 20th May. This is now waiting list only. If there is enough interest, a second tour will be organised on a future date. Members should register their interest on the waiting list.
NEW Tour of Kari Anne Helleberg Bahri Exhibition – Bluerider ART Gallery on Friday 6th March at 11:00.
NEW Royal Geographical Society Visit at The Royal Geographical Society in Kensington on Thursday 7th May at 11:00 – 13:00.
Please bear in mind that in order for these events to go ahead, we need to cover their costs. We kindly ask that members book as early as possible to ensure that events do not need to be rescheduled or at worst, cancelled.
Dates for your diary:
12th May – Angevin and Aragonese Naples, study day with Drs Paula and Geoff Nuttall(Booking opens 1st March)
3rd July – American Art and its Publics, study day with Dr Kathy McLaughlan (Booking opens 1st March)
10th July – visit to Coventry Cathedral (Booking opens 1st March)
16th July – The Biedermeier: A Triumph of Simplicity in a complex Time, an online study day with Thomas Abbott (Booking opens 1st March)
Ravenna Tour
There are a few places left on the tour to Ravenna led by Cecily Hennessy and being run by James Hill Travels for our Members. If you are interested in joining the tour please contact info@jameshilltravels.com or 01869 906043.
Current Exhibitions and Lectures in London
Talk: Klimt & Beethoven: Artistic Rebellion in Fin de Siècle Vienna at The Foundling Museum. Online and in person on February 27th at 15:00.
Art historian Sarah Jaffray will unpack the rich cultural tapestry behind Gustav Klimt’s mesmerising Beethoven Frieze. Through Klimt’s tribute to the composer, she’ll explore how Beethoven inspired a generation of artists and thinkers at this pivotal time in European history.
The Future was Then at The Cartoon Museum. On now until 21st March.
Guildhall Library 600 Anniversary Exhibition at The Guildhall Library. On now until 30th April
Lines, Gazes, Landscapes at The Daiwa Foundation. On from 5th March to 18th May.
With thanks to Eva Bigalke, you can access and download a listing of current and future exhibitions showing in London from now until July 2026 here.
Overseas Exhibitions
Rembrandt’s Masterclass. Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Open now until 25th May.
The exhibition explores Rembrandt’s working methods by unpacking how he observed the world, developed techniques, expressed emotion and pushed creative boundaries. Set in his former home, it encourages visitors to engage actively with his art-making process rather than viewing his works passively.
Northern Light – Scandinavian and Dutch Drawings. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France. Open from 10th February to 10th May.
A curated display of 19th-century Scandinavian and Dutch works on paper that highlights the artistic richness of Northern Europe through landscapes and domestic scenes. The exhibition brings together recent acquisitions and long-held works to showcase the diversity and use of light in Nordic drawing traditions.
This exhibition looks at how Van Gogh used yellow to convey emotion, energy and experimentation, placing his work in a broader artistic and cultural context. It expands beyond painting to show how the colour shaped ideas of modernity and sensory experience around 1900 and beyond.
If you wish to recommend other overseas exhibitions that may be of interest to fellow members please contact our Communications Coordinator.