Art Lecture success with Old Masters
A new perspective on old masters at the Treloar annual Art Lecture
On Wednesday 14th November Treloar’s was delighted to host its annual Art Lecture at their campus in Holybourne. They welcomed back Douglas Skeggs; a Cambridge Fine Arts graduate, lecturer, TV presenter, Director of the New Academy of Arts and author. This year, Douglas explored 17th Century Dutch art and how it dealt with the real lives of its people: at times ordered, at others bawdy or self-important, and occasionally tragic.
Douglas masterfully demonstrated to a sold out audience of over 130 guests how Holland achieved its independence through its bitter wars with Spain and how its new Protestant mentality allowed astonishing advances in science, as Rembrandt shows in his portrait of Dr Tulp. How its merchant wealth was reflected in serene seascapes by Van de Velde and Van Goyen, its civic pride in the brilliant portraits of Frans Hals; and its insistence on moral order and well-scrubbed households in the enigmatic poetry of Vermeer. Douglas’ fascinating lecture was accompanied by imagery of some of the finest Old Master paintings in the world, but looked at from an exciting new perspective.
In total the evening raised an incredible net profit of over £3,500. Guests enjoyed the chance to purchase some of Treloar’s fantastic array of Christmas gifts and try their luck with the raffle. All profits from the evening will contribute towards helping students and their families to get the necessary support, education and care they need for a brighter and more independent future.