Summer Study Day: Manet, Morisot and the Impressionists

A Summer Study Day celebrating Impressionism, with 3 lectures by acclaimed lecturer Stella Grace Lyons.09:45 Coffee, Pastries and Registration
10.30- 11.30 Lecture 1 - The 'Father of Impressionism': douard Manet
11.30- 11.45 Comfort break
11.45-12.45 Lecture 2 - The Birth of Impressionism and the Art of Modern Life
12.45 - 14.00 Sandwich Buffet Lunch
14.00 - 15.00 Lecture 3 - Berthe Morisot: The Forgotten ImpressionistThe Father of Impressionism: douard ManetWhy were policemen hired to protect Manets Olympia from being attacked?
The work was greeted with shock and disgust when it was exhibited at the 1865 Salon of Paris: 'Such indecency!', 'It recalls the horror of the morgue!', 'Dirty hands and wrinkled feet!'.
Instead of painting an idealised view of feminine beauty, Manet depicted a realistic and provocative French courtesan.
He rebelled against all the rules and sent shockwaves through the Paris art world. What Manet didnt realise was that his scandalous painting would mark the start of Modern Art.
This talk considers Manets most celebrated works including Olympia, Le Djeuner sur lherbe and A Bar at the Folies-Bergre. It looks at how his paintings of truth changed the entire course of Art History.The Birth of Impressionism and the Art of Modern LifeWhat did it mean to paint modern life in 19th century Paris?
In the wake of political upheaval and radical urban transformation, a group of young artists began to turn away from history painting and idealised myth. Instead, they looked at the world around themcapturing fleeting moments in cafs, on the streets, at the theatre and in the countryside.
Baron Haussmanns dramatic redesign of Paris created sweeping boulevards, public parks and new vantage pointsspaces that became central to the Impressionist gaze.
Inspired by Charles Baudelaires call for a painter of modern life, artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Gustave Caillebotte set out to reflect the pace, spectacle and anonymity of the modern city.
This talk explores the birth of Impressionism and its focus on modern life. Why was this work so controversial? And what exactly made it so modern?Berthe Morisot: The Forgotten ImpressionistBerthe Morisot created some of the most progressive and visually pleasing works in late 19th Century France.
She participated in all but one of the 8 Impressionist exhibitions (only Pissarro showed work in all 8).
Yet on her death certificate she was listed as having no profession.
What does this tell us about female artists working in this period? Why has so little attention been paid to this artist until recently? This talk will explore Morisots revolutionary work, including her most famous painting The Cradle.About Stella Grace LyonsStella Grace Lyons is a freelance Art History lecturer, speaker and writer accredited with The Arts Society. She has lectured across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Norway, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Malta and Malaysia.Stella gained her BA in the History of Art with a 1st class in her dissertation from the University of Bristol and her MA in History of Art from the University of Warwick. She spent a year studying Renaissance art in Italy at the British Institute of Florence and three months studying Venetian art in Venice. In addition, she attended drawing classes at the prestigious Charles H. Cecil studios in Florence, a private atelier that follows a curriculum based on the leading ateliers of nineteenth-century Paris.Stella runs her own online lectures, Stella Talks, which frequently attract listeners from across five continents, from California to Singapore. Stella is a sought-after lecturer for art societies, travel companies, private members clubs in Londonsuch as the RAC, The Hurlingham Club and The Travellers Clubas well as boutique cruise lines.Stella has also lectured for the University of South Wales. She has written about art for several publications, including The Arts Society Magazine, where her feature on Norwegian art was chosen for the cover. In 2024, she wrote the Introduction for David Griffiths: Portraits, a book about the renowned Welsh portrait painter and chaired an event about Welsh Art for the Penarth Literary Festival 2024. Additionally, she spent many years modelling for the acclaimed Wales-based artist, Harry Holland.