Please note this day event is now running on 5 February 2024, not 9 October 2023 as originally advertised.
Held in conjunction with the WEA at the Norden Farm Centre for the Arts.
The aim of this study day is to introduce the way historical events, myths and stories from the ancient world have inspired artists, both in the ancient period and since. We will explore art forms ranging from some to the great ancient buildings of Greece and Rome, through painting and sculpture to photography, conceptual art and contemporary installations. Great artists from Phydias and Exekias, to Bernini, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Delacroix, Picasso and Marc Quinn will be included.
The central premise of the day is to investigate the way in which artists have taken some of the great stories of the past and used them to explore their own experiences of the world. The universal themes of war, death, love, heroism and evil have inspired some of the most exciting paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, performances and even buildings. These well-known and well-loved stories have also inspired artists when they have been confronted with great contemporary events, such as wars, revolutions and tragedy. Some of these events and the associated art works will form part of this exploration.
Key to our understanding will be the forms created by artists in the ancient world – the classical sculptors, architects and painters of Greece and Rome in particular, as it was their artistic expression that was then revived in the 1500s and led to the language of Western art that persists to the present day.