An art historian came to St Peter’s School on Tuesday to discuss meanings and metaphors in visual art.
Ralph Hughes, who is Head of History of Art at Fettes College in Edinburgh, explained why things aren’t always what they seem in art.
He took the audience below the surface of several works, revealing the stories behind the paintings, to enrich our understanding of the visual arts.
The lecture was followed by a Q&A session with Mr Hughes, chaired by the Head of Art at St Peter’s, John Darmody. After that, the audience were invited to the Whitestone Gallery on the St Peter’s campus for a glass of wine.
The event is the latest in the St Peter’s School Public Lecture series, so was free and open to all.
The Public Lecture series has made a strong start in 2013; other events this year have included an evening of Stargazing with The Sky at Night’s Chris Lintott, an audience with England rugby star and charity campaigner Ben Cohen, and a news quiz chaired by BBC Look North’s Harry Gration. Each has been free to attend and enjoyed by hundreds of York residents.
John Darmody, who also organised the lecture, said: “Ralph Hughes is the Simon Schama of independent education. Ralph was a colleague of mine for a number of years in Edinburgh and I came to know him as the most knowledgeable authority on the History of Art that I have ever met.
“For almost four decades Ralph has made Art History accessible and intriguing to many students. Any Ralph Hughes lecture is an enrichment of understanding and appreciation.”