14 January – 17 March 2020
This series of talks will explore the neglected history of Russian art. The story begins in the 10th century when Prince Vladimir of Kiev converted to Orthodox Christianity and brought the sacred art of icon painting from Byzantium to Holy Rus. In order to shoe‐horn Russia on to the stage of European politics, subsequent rulers adopted and adapted the cultural conventions of western Europe. But by the end of the 19th century, increasing numbers of Russians began to feel that their country had sold its soul to the West and there started a movement to define a distinctively Russian form of cultural life that matched the experience and aspirations of modern society. The consequences were revolutionary – in many senses of the word