Landscapes in Art
September 25 - October 30
10.45 – 12.45 Wednesdays
£79.00 – £402.00
Description
From JMW Turner and John Constable, to Chinese Masterpieces, Japanese Prints, Hokusai’s Mount Fuji, and Cézanne’s Mont Saint Victoire, artists have strived to capture landscape in all its beauty and nature for centuries. Landscape vistas can be recreated in private gardens and parkland estates, as with Chinese gardens of the 8thC, Capability Brown in the 18thC, and even rooftop gardens of the 20thC. There are many ways of bringing landscapes into one’s personal environment, from paintings and prints, to textiles, wallpapers, furnishings and potted plants, we can create an “outdoors” indoors, and feel that we have a connection to nature in some form. With the growing awareness of the need for mental health support in all areas of society, it is becoming a recognised fact that gardens, plants, landscapes and natural environments are a necessary aid to promote our mental and physical health. We will explore the meaning of Landscape in Art, and how we, the viewer, respond to certain combinations of natural elements, and how we use those elements in our daily lives to promote harmony and tranquility in our homes and environments.
“Delightful course: enjoyed this very knowledgeable lecturer, good handouts, perfect PowerPoint presentation and very good choice of slides with captions. Thank you so much Suzanne”
Course Outline
25 Sept 2024 – Landscape Vistas
Real, imaginary and symbolic landscapes and their meaning; the English countryside and national pride; creating “The finest view in England!”; Capability Brown, Constable, and popular landscape artists captured the perfect view.
02 Oct 2024 – Bringing the Outside Inside 1 West
The Industrial Revolution brought many benefits to society, but also a reaction against its brutal progress and a longing to ‘get back to nature’; William Morris and his contemporaries fought back for natural beauty, celebrating floral designs in the home.
9 Oct 2024 – Bringing the Outside Inside 2 East
Chinese and Japanese scholars promoted the fine arts of painting, poetry, feng shui and garden design, and brought beautiful landscapes into their places of residence with miniature gardens, bonsai trees, artworks and accessories.
16 Oct 2024 – Contemporary Landscape
Architectural Greenspace – Greening Cities – on rooftops, car parks, balconies, courtyards; creating a personal green space however small makes the connection with nature more meaningful, and nurturing plants brings fulfilment.
23 Oct 2024 – Healing Gardens
Using Landscape to calm the mind – gardens for rest, recuperation and reflection; Remembrance gardens, Hospice gardens bring healing space for mind, body and spirit.
30 Oct 2024 – Visit Kyoto Garden and Fukushima Garden at Holland Park
A guided tour of the Japanese garden at Holland Park, and the Fukushima Remembrance Garden built for rest, recuperation and reflection.