artfirstprimo: July 2012

Sunday 29 July 2012

artfirstprimo at the NG - afternoon tour: 29-07-12

Welcome back art lovers. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery, London offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30; leaving from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop. National Gallery's Permanent Collection consists of over 2,500 paintings.

I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Sunday 29th July, enjoyed the choice of paintings. But if you missed them or just want a reminded of which pictures we looked at so you can visit them again with a friend. Here is a list of those paintings:

We began with: a painting, one of two by Francesco Pesellino (1422 - 1457), depicting The Story of David and Goliath, (about 1445-55) they were probably commissioned for a pair of marriage chests, usually called cassone. We then looked at and example of a cassone in room 58 with an image painted on the side depicting The Story of the Schoolmaster of Falerii (late 15th century) attributed to Master of Marradi. Hanging above this we looked at a painting called A Satyr mourning over a Nymph (1495) by Piero di Cosimo (1462 - 1522). The painting probably served as a spalliera (a backboard for a bench or chest), or as part of the panelling in a Florentine palace. This was followed by a look at The Madonna of the Pinks ('La Madonna dei Garofani') (about 1506-7), by Raphael (Raffaello Santi) (1483 - 1520). In room 4 we made a close examination of Cupid complaining to Venus (about 1525) by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472 - 1553). We finally ended in room 46 with Miss La La at the Cirque Fernando (1879), by Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (1843 - 1917).

artfirstprimo forthcoming free tours and talks at the NG

My next guided tours of the National Gallery will be on Sunday 5^th August at the usual times of 11:30 and 14:30, and I will also be giving a Ten Minute talk on Lady Cockburn and Her Three Eldest Sons (1773), by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792) in room 34 at 16:00 also on Sunday 5^th August 2012.

I will also be giving guided tours at the usual times of 11:30 and 14:30, on Thursday 16th August 2012.

These will be followed by guided tours of the National Gallery on Sunday 26th August at the usual times of 11:30 and 14:30, and I will also be giving the same Ten Minute talk (if you missed it on Sun 5th Aug) on Lady Cockburn and Her Three Eldest Sons (1773), by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792) in room 34 at 16:00 also on Sunday 26th August 2012.

And finally I will also be giving more guided tours at the usual times again of 11:30 and 14:30, on Sunday 23rd September 2012.

artfirstprimo at the NG - morning tour: 29-07-12

Friday 13 July 2012

My new one day course on Leonardo da Vinci is now available at the Bishopsgate Institute: 18-08-12

Art History & Appreciation: Leonardo Da Vinci

Francesco Melzi, attributed to (Portrait of Leonardo in profile, c.1515-18) Royal Collection

Speculations regarding the true life and meanings of Leonardo’s works have been rife for centuries, indeed books such as the Da Vinci Code only serve to confirm this continued interest. Yet what do we really know about this enigmatic Renaissance master. An understanding of the times and motivations of Leonardo will ultimately unravel this mystery.

This one-day course aims to provide the student with an insight into the life of the great Renaissance masters and ultimately an understanding of his works through the historical and social context within which this artist worked. This will be achieved by looking at his early career and influences including his training and working methods, and the stylistic similarities or differences in his works.

We will begin by focusing on Leonardo’s early life and tutelage in the workshop of Andrea del Verrocchio. We will then examining his earliest commissions and how these might have shaped his future work. Later we shall look at Leonardo’s life of invention and fascination by all living things including the mechanics of flight. We will then move on to looking at Leonardo’s patrons and his fascination with the Madonna and Child grouping and portraits. And finally all these parts of Leonardo’s life will be framed by looking at his career through his peripatetic existence which finally ended in France.

Course suitable for all

with Leslie Primo

16 students maximum

£45 /£34 conc. for 1 sessions

Saturday 10.30pm – 5.30pm

18 August 2012

Bishopsgate Institute

My new one day course on Iconography and Iconology is now available at the Bishopsgate Institute: 25-08-12

Iconography and Iconology: Secrets of Old Masters Revealed

Bronzino (Allegory of Venus and Cupid, 1540-50) National Gallery

Ever wondered whether there’s a hidden meaning behind paintings, in this course we’ll discover why signs and symbols are in paintings, and reveal how to find and interpret their meanings in paintings from medieval to Baroque and beyond.

This course will give the tools to crack the hidden codes behind paintings in any art gallery and indentify the seemingly mysterious figures in these great works of art.

This one day intensive course aims to look at the stories, which are often re-told in secular and religious painting mostly Italian Renaissance painting around, 1400-1600. Most often the stories came from antique literary sources, which had survived through the middle ages and were the preserve of the rich and cultured.

We recognise the stories told by interpreting, signs and symbols, also known as the Iconography and Iconology, as well as recognising ‘types’ in the paining. Why were these subjects so popular? Were paintings merely illustrations of the text or did they carry some deeper meaning? How did artists such as Botticelli, Pintoricchio, Titian and Tintoretto approach these subjects? From mythology to religious art, all will be revealed in this course.

Course suitable for all

with Leslie Primo

16 students maximum

£45 /£34 conc. for 1 sessions

Saturday 10.30pm – 5.30pm

25 August 2012

Bishopsgate Institute

Saturday 7 July 2012

artfirstprimo at the NG - afternoon tour: 07-07-12

Welcome back art lovers. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery, London offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30; leaving from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop. National Gallery's Permanent Collection consists of over 2,500 paintings.

I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 7th July, enjoyed the choice of paintings. But if you missed them or just want a reminded of which pictures we looked at so you can visit them again with a friend. Here is a list of those paintings:

We began with: a painting, by Piero della Francesca (about 1415/20 - 1492), The Baptism of Christ, 1450s, we then looked at Christ Blessing (apparently dated 1465) and Saint Jerome in his Study (about 1475) both by Antonello da Messina (active 1456; died 1479). This was followed by The Four Elements of Air, Earth, Fire and Water, (1570), by Joachim Beuckelaer (active 1560 - 1574). In room 35 we looked at two oil paintings on copper, Saint Paul on Malta (about 1600) and Saint Lawrence prepared for Martyrdom (about 1600-1), both by Adam Elsheimer (1578 - 1610). We then moved on to Bacchus and Ariadne (probably 1700-10), by Sebastiano Ricci (1659 - 1734). Finally we ended in room 43 with The Beach at Trouville (1870) by Claude-Oscar Monet (1840 - 1926).

My next free guided tours of the National Gallery will be on Sunday 29^th July at the usual times of 11:30 and 14:30, I will also be giving (on Sunday 29^th July) a Ten Minute talk in room 45 at 16:00 on The Sunflowers (1888), by Vincent van Gogh (1853 - 1890).

artfirstprimo at the NG - morning tour: 07-07-12

Welcome back art lovers. For those of you who don't yet know, let me remind you the National Gallery, London offers free lecture tours everyday at the same times of 11:30 and 14:30; leaving from the new part of the building - The Sainsbury Wing, just next to the main shop. National Gallery's Permanent Collection consists of over 2,500 paintings.

I hope that those of you, who were able to attend my free guided tour at the National Gallery today, Saturday 7th July, enjoyed the choice of paintings. But if you missed them or just want a reminded of which pictures we looked at so you can visit them again with a friend. Here is a list of those paintings:

We began with: a painting, by Paolo Uccello (about 1397 - 1475), The Battle of San Romano, probably about 1438-40, we then looked at La Madonna della Rondine (The Madonna of the Swallow) (after 1490) by Carlo Crivelli (about 1430/5 - about 1494). This was followed by a look at An Old Woman ('The Ugly Duchess'), (about 1513), by Quinten Massys (1465 - 1530). In room 34 we explored the landscape of The Hay Wain (1821) by John Constable (1776 - 1837). We finally ended with The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (1833), by Paul Delaroche (1797 - 1856)