January 2008

Art, Academy & Fashionable Society:
The Pragmatic World Of 18th Century British Art

Despite high winds, bucketing rain, not to mention flooding in places, there was a goodly (if damp) turnout for the first lecture of the 2008 season of the Farnham Decorative and Fine Arts Society in The Maltings.

The lecture had the hugely long title of ‘Art, Academy And Fashionable Society: The Pragmatic World Of 18th Century British Art’ but then, the Lecturer, Linda Smith, was to cover the whole sweep of the 18th Century with all its radical changes in politics, urbanisation, commerce and distribution of wealth which, in turn, altered how art, especially in terms of painting, was produced, displayed, bought and sold.

At the beginning of the century there was the left over attitude that art meant Italy And that it followed that Italian, and occasionally French, artists were superior to those who were British. That was to change. The amazingly self confident Joshua Reynolds who did the Grand Tour courtesy of his friend, Captain Kettle, whilst despising foreigners, was not averse to copying their ideas. For example his portrait of Captain Kettle and three beautiful girls from Ireland whilst undeniably English in style, owe their poses to the ancient statues of Greece and Rome. He also had a penchant for dressing his models in the flowing garb of Greek goddesses to make them dateless! Not so, Gainsborough who came on the scene in the latter half of the Century who showed people in all their finery and often standing amid their acres of countryside. For this was a time when the new industrialists were making a lot of money and wanted to celebrate it by showing the world the amount of land they had, the homes they lived in and the lifestyle they enjoyed – hence the development of ‘conversation pieces’ showing convivial family groups.

This interest of the newly rich in art also manifested itself in a brand new way of selling paintings - for example when Reynolds painted Coram who founded a foundling hospital it, and the works of little known painters, were exhibited together and the rich and famous were invited to the exhibition to buy the works and add to the funds of the hospital. A method of raising money still used today. It was also a breakthrough in that previously art was only displayed in the artists’ studios or on the walls of their patrons.

There was also a profound interest in science and how things worked so you had Stubbs flaying horses and making the most remarkable anatomical drawings and the students of the newly formed Royal Academy studying casts of bodies minus their skin.

This too was an age of ruthless satire and brought forth the outstanding work of Hogarth and Gilray with their often cruel caricatures of Royalty, politicians and poseurs. The century also saw the founding of the Royal Academy with two women as founder members: Angelica Kaufman and Mary Moser. It was to be 1920 before women were again admitted to the Royal Academy. Now there’s a thought.

NOTICES

Chairman Frances Ashworth announced that the 25th anniversary celebrations will take place on 9 July with a special musical lecture at Frensham Heights School followed by a buffet lunch. The lecture will be free to full members, who will be given their named tickets at the March meeting. The optional luncheon, which is is only open to full members, will cost about £12 and bookings will be taken at the March meeting on a first-come, first-served basis. It is suggested that members arrive early for the March meeting to book their places.