JULIAN HALSBY  MA (Cantab) RBA FRSA 1948 Born in London Educated at Highgate School 1967-1971 Emmanuel College, Cambridge         History Part 1 (1969)         History of Art part 2 (1971) 1971-1980 Senior Lecturer in History of Art, Croydon College of Art 1980-1988 Director, Highgate Gallery specialising in 19th and early 20th Century British Art Owner of Newland Gallery, Sherborne Published Books: 1. Scottish Watercolours 1740-1940 Published by B.T.Batsford in 1986, reprinted as a paperback in 1989 This detailed study of Scottish watercolours has become the standard work on the subject. 2. Dictionary of Scotttish Artists 1600-1960  (with Paul Harris) Published by Canongate in 1990. A dictionary containing 2000 references and 300 colour plates which has become a standard reference work for collectors and dealers. Expanded and reprinted in hardback and paperback in 1998 under the title; The Dictionary of Scottish Artists. 3rd reprint in paperback 2001 I am currently working on the fourth edition of the Dictionary with an additional 120 entries to be published by Birlinn in September 2010. 3. Venice: The Artists’ Vision Published by B.T.Batsford in 1990. A study of British and American artists working in Venice from 1800 to the present day with special reference to the social and literary background. Reprinted by Unicorn Press as a paperback in December 1999. 4. Strange Happenings in the Commonplace Newport Art Gallery 1993 A retrospective catalogue of the work of Professor Carel Weight CH RA 5. The Art of Diana Armfield RA David and Charles 1995 A study of the work of one of Britain’s leading painters of flowers and landscapes in oils and pastels. 6. A Bit of Trompe: The Art of Lincoln Taber   (with Jacqueline Taber) Published by Unicorn Press 1998 A study of an American muralist, trompe l’oeil painter and portraitist who worked in Florence and Britain. The book was published in conjunction with a retrospective exhibition at Leighton House, London. 7. A Place to Paint - The Art of Jeanne Englander Published by the Burnaby Press 1998 A co-operation between myself and Jeanne Englander on a book about her life and art. 8. A Hand to Obey the Demon’s Eye The work of the Anglo-Indian artist Norman Douglas Hutchinson Published by Unicorn Press 2000. 9. A Private View Published by Lund Humphreys  2002 A book about David Wolfers and The New Grafton Gallery A detailed examination of the artists represented by the New Grafton Gallery since the 1960’s including John Nash, Carel Weight, Ruskin Spear, Elizabeth Frink, Peter Greenham, John Piper, Keith Vaughan, Julian Trevelyan, Mary Fedden, Ken Howard, Fred Cuming and Tom Coates. I write most months for ‘The Artist’ magazine interviewing contemporary artists such as Sir Kyffin Williams RA, Mary Fedden RA, Fred Cuming RA, Ken Howard RA, Elizabeth Blackadder RA, Bernard Dunstan RA, Colin Hayes RA, Leslie Worth RWS, Peter Kuhfeld, Tom Coates, Peter Kelly, Mick Rooney RA, Philip Sutton RA  and many others. I have written over 100 interviews with contemporary figurative artists since 1990. I also write reviews of current exhibitions for ‘Galleries’ magazine As  practising artist l have shown with many leading societies including the Royal Academy, The Royal Society of British Artists, The Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the New English Art Club as well as at many leading London art galleries such as The New Grafton, Abbott and Holder, Russell Gallery. 1994 Elected member of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) 1996 Elected member of the International Association of Art Critics. 1997 Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts 2006 Elected to Critics Circle 2006 Chairman of Artslink, educational trust based in Sherborne. I am an approved NADFAS lecturer and give one-hour lectures and all-day study days throughout the country. In addition to NADFAS I have lectured at Dillington House Adult Education in Somerset, Artslink in Sherborne, Dorset, Farncombe Estate Adult Education and given talks to The Friends of Kenwood House, the Royal Institute of Watercolour Painters (RI) and the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA) at the Mall Galleries and have been a guest lecturer on trips abroad organized by Specialtours. LECTURE LIST I am an experienced lecturer having lectured full time at Croydon College of Art and subsequently for NADFAS, Sherborne Artslink and other adult education centres. I use digital images and have a substantial collection of images for lecturing purposes. My main period of interest is art and design in Europe 1850 to about 1920, and naturally I have special knowledge of those topics about which I have written, in particular Venice. 1. John Singer Sargent : A life through Pictures Sargent’s life is full of movement – born in Italy, he studied in Paris, painted portraits in London, produced oils and watercolours in Venice, was a First World War artist, and spent the later years of his life painting murals in Boston. My lecture looks in depth at his amazing portraits analysing just how he captured the character of his sitters and looking back to Van Dyck and Gainsborough. I look in detail at his Venetian oils and sparkling watercolours and outline the Anglo-American society in the Palazzo Barbaro that he frequented while in Venice. I look at his paintings done in the Alps with his friends while travelling down to Venice, and show his wartime watercolours. This is  a sparkling lecture full of colour which shows that Sargent is a master in both oils and watercolours, as well as being a charming, musical and cosmopolitan man.                Suitable as a Study Day 2. British and American Artists in Venice  1815 – 1914 This lecture is based on my book about British and American artists who discovered Venice in the early 19th century starting with Turner and progressing through Samuel Prout, John Ruskin, Clarkson Stanfield, Myles Birkett Foster, Whistler, Sargent, and Walter Sickert as well as some of the lesser know artists. I look at the social life of the British and Americans living in Venice, a society centred around the Curtis family at the Palazzo Barbaro on the Grand Canal, where Sargent, Henry James and others stayed. I look at Ruskin’s ‘Stones of Venice’, the first guide book to Venice, and how the arrival of the railway brought tourism and money to what was a very poor city. I look at why Whistler was in Venice and how he produced a wonderful series of etchings and pastels over the course of just 18 months. Suitable as a Study Day 3. The Butterfly on the Lagoon: Whistler in Venice 1879-80 A detailed examination of Whistler’s 18 months in Venice from 1879 to 1880 starting with his court case against Ruskin which led to his bankruptcy and the loss of his house in Chelsea. I look at how the Fine Art Society in Bond Street funded his trip to Venice and how he survived in the bitter winter of 1879-80. With the arrival of spring and many American art students, Whistler again assumes the role of ‘The Master’ and I talk about his practical jokes and often outrageous behaviour. I also examine in detail the marvellous etchings and pastels that he produced  during this period in Venice. On his return to London in 1880 Whistler held a series of highly successful exhibitions in Bond Street which restored his reputation and finances. This is a story of misfortune followed by triumph, set against the sparkling background of Venice. 4. The Pre-Raphaelites: Years of Achievement 1848-1860 The first 12 years of the Pre-Raphaelite Movement are the most revolutionary and significant. I look in detail at how the young Millais, Rossetti and Holman Hunt break with the past and turn their backs on the traditions of academic and romantic painting. I show how they discover true colour from direct observation of nature and how they were the first artist to painting in the open air. In particular I look at the drawings of Millais to see how the Pre-Raphaelite style evolved. I examine the role of John Ruskin as art critic and defender of the Brotherhood. In addition to the main artists I look at the paintings of Ford Madox Brown, Arthur Hughes and Henry Wallis as well as the landscapes of Brett, Boyce and Inchbold. I examine the influence that the Pre-Raphaelites exerted in France and Europe. Suitable as a Study Day ( extending beyond 1860) 5. Walter Sickert and the Camden Town Group  1905-1918 Although very influential in English painting, Walter Sickert’s art is sometimes difficult to appreciate. I look at his background as pupil of Whistler, his friendship with Degas and the development of his unique style. I present his superb paintings of the Victorian music halls, of Venice and his Camden Town nudes. A truly international figure, Sickert moved between London, Paris, Dieppe and Venice. However in 1905 he settled in London and collected around him a group of young artists called the Camden Town Group – Spencer Gore, Harold Gilman, Charles Ginner, Malcolm Drummond, Robert Bevan and William Ratcliffe. Their colourful paintings of London life before 1914 including street scenes, theatres, restaurants, nudes in interiors and even the railways form the basis of this lecture. 6. John Ruskin: A Flawed Genius John Ruskin was without doubt one of the most influential writers on art in the 19th century. He defended  Turner’s late style and the young Pre-Rahaelites against public criticism. He was also one of the first travel writers, producing 3 volumes of ‘The Stones of Venice’ and visiting gothic buildings in France, Italy and Germany. He supported artists financially including Lizzie Siddal, later the wife of Rossetti, and sent artists to Italy to paint. He was also a pioneer of conservation, a supporter of the Arts and Crafts movement and a socialist with a passion for adult education. His English prose is superb. But despite this genius, his own life was difficult. His wife divorced him to marry the painter John Millais, and his later years were clouded by mental problems. I examine the life of this Victorian polymath with numerous illustrations. Suitable as a Study Day 7. Modigliani and Bohemian Paris 1906-1920 Modigliani remains of the most popular artists of the 20th century. I discuss his short life in some detail looking at his early development and his arrival and life in Paris from 1906 to his death in 1920. Modigliani was at the centre of Bohemian Paris and was a close friend of Maurice Utrillo, Picasso, Max Jacob, Moise Kisling, Chaim Soutine and many other painters and writers who made up Bohemian Paris. I discuss the influences on his painting and sculpture including Cezanne, African art and Cubism and show how he developed a highly individual style of his own.  I look at his haunting portraits and sensual nudes while exploring the Bohemian life of Montmartre.     8. Toulouse-Lautrec and the Golden Age of Cabaret Toulouse-Lautrec’s life is both a triumph against adversity and a sad reflection of late 19th century society in Paris. I discuss Toulouse-Lautrec’s technique of working in oils on board and especially the process of lithography he used to produce posters for the cabarets in Paris. I look at the careers of some of the leading cabaret artists who were the subject of his art including La Goulue, Jane Avril, Yvette Guilbert, May Milton, the clown Cha-U-Kao and Aristide Bruant, as well as at some of the well known venues such as Le Rat Mort, the Moulin Rouge, the Divan Japonais and the Moulin de la Galette.  This is a lively view of La Belle Epoque seen through the eyes of an artist from an aristocratic family. 9. Symbolist Painting: The Age of Decadence 1880-1910 Symbolism is a relatively unknown art movement and provides a fascinating alternative to impressionism and post Impressionism. The Symbolism has its roots in German Romanticism and the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, but develops a language of its own. Its themes include the Femme Fatale, The Vampire, Dreams, sexual fantasies, and nostalgia for a mythical past. Many of the artists suffered isolation and depression, but their work is exciting and original. The many artists discussed include Munch, Aubrey Beardsley, Redon, Puvis de Chavannes, Gauguin, Ensor, Khnopff, Klimt and Mucha. In conclusion I relate Symbolism to both Art Nouveau and Surrealism. Suitable as a Study Day (extending into Art Nouveau and Surrealism) 10. The New English Art Club – Then and (Mostly) Now The New English Art Club was founded in 1886 as a society to promote the French influence in British art, and as an alternative to the Royal Academy. Early members include the Glasgow Boys, the Newlyn School and the London Impressionists. After a brief historical introduction, I look at the paintings of contemporary members of NEAC including Ken Howard, Bernard Dunstan, Diana Armfield, Peter Kuhfeld, Fred Cuming, Tom Coates and Ruth Stage. I show how all their work is based on fine draughtsmanship. I know all these artists personally and have written about all of them in articles and books. This is a lecture which restore your confidence in modern art. 11. Pierre Bonnard- Painting with Light Bonnard is one of the most popular modern artists, and I will explain this popularity by looking at his life and work. He started out in Paris producing lithographs influenced by Toulouse-Lautrec, before moving onto paintings in oil and distemper of Paris and its people in which he combines, colour, decoration and observation to great effect. After the First War he concentrates on nudes in interiors, often paintings of his wife, and pictures of friends in domestic settings. In 1926 he moved to Le Cannet in the South of France and began painting the colourful landscape of Provence. Sunlight floods his landscapes and interiors and it is not an exaggeration to say that we still see the South of France through his eyes. In addition to his paintings I look at his friendship with Edouard Vuillard, Claude Monet and Henri Matisse. 12. Truth to Nature- The Pre-Raphaelite Landscape 1850-1900 The Pre-Raphaelites are best known for their figure and religious paintings, they also produced some of the finest landscapes of the 19th century. I look at the landscape background in the famous paintings such as ‘The Blind Girl’ and ‘The Hireling Shepherd’ then I go on to look at those Pre-Raphaelite artists who painted mainly landscape such as John Brett, John Inchbold, William Boyce, John Bunney and Thomas Seddon. The images take us from Scotland, through England, France, Switzerland and Italy to the Holy Land. I look at Ruskin’s influence as well as that of photography and science. 13. The Art and Design of Bloomsbury The Bloomsbury Group brought English art into the 20th century, inspired by the Post Impressionist paintings of Cezanne and Van Gogh which the Bloomsbury critic, Roger Fry, brought to London in 1910 – 1912.  There is an freshness and spontaneity about the paintings of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, while the Omega Workshops produced some highly original textile and furniture designs. I look at Charleston Farmhouse in detail as an example of  the Bloomsbury combination of fine and decorative arts. Bloomsbury also attracted writers such as Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey, Clive Bell and Keynes and I assess their importance. This is an exciting period in English art and design and the lecture is a visual treat. 14. Turner in Venice Turner made his first visit to Venice in 1819 but apart from producing 4 watercolours while there, some illustrations which had been commissioned and a further 2 watercolours for a private client, he did not return to Venice as a subject until 1833 when he saw the success of Samuel Prout and Richard Bonington. He returned to Venice in 1833 and again for a longer stay in 1840 when he produced some magnificent atmospheric watercolours. I examine his sketches and watercolours made on the spot, as well as his studio oils, and explore his interest in Byron’s romantic concept of the fallen power of the Venetian Republic. 15. The Big Art Quiz This is 100 questions on art and design. Most of the questions are visual but there are also 10 written questions. Ideal for social events, dinners, etc. All my lectures are digital as I no longer use slides. Email address: halsby2000@yahoo.com
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