Joan of Arc
Joan must be one of the best-known figures from the Middle Ages and opinion is divided about her. Love her or loathe her, her story is fascinating and although almost no artefacts remain that were contemporary to her, the last…
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Medieval Brittany
With its dramatic coastline and brilliant light, Brittany has long been a haven for artists. However, in its past it has been an empire post for the Romans, a sanctuary for refugees from Britain and central Europe, an endless source…
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The Siren Sea
The ship is one of the most common images found in medieval churches and manuscripts and not just on the coast, but often far inland as well. Nations depend on it for nourishment, safety and wealth but, all too often,…
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Ravenna seen through her Mosaics
There are two Ravennas. There's today's which is very pretty and a lovely place to stroll or watch the world cycle by or, behind potentially plain brick exteriors, there's the one of fifteen hundred or so years ago. It's hard…
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The Goose is Getting Fat! The History of Christmas Traditions
What's behind the Wassail and why do we kiss under mistletoe and let loose women into York at Christmas? Every family hones its own traditions, but mainly they are based on a central theme: filling our houses with greenery and…
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A Potted History: Greek Vases
In this lecture we track the development of Greek vase painting from stick-figures and geometric patterns in C8th BC to what could be called proto-Renaissance flowing styles achieved by c.500 BC. We’ll see how and why the artists went from…
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‘Put That Light Out!’: The 93rd (Searchlight) Regiment Royal Artillery
One of the best-kept secrets of the military history of the British Isles is that of the 93rd Regiment. Very few people realise that this was an all-female regiment (with the exception of the Commanding Officer and Battery Commanders) and…
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Tales in Tesserae
So many mosaics and tessellated pavements survive that we almost take them for granted with their gently-muted colours and sometimes strange messages from the ancient world. It's an art form that continues and is enjoyed to the present day but…