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Women in Art at the British Museum 9 December 2023
Becky Laxton-Bass, our guide, took us to various objects in the British Museum related to women in ancient cultures.
We started with the Ancient Mesopotamia Gallery where the objects on display
illustrate the beliefs and achievements in writing and art of this ancient civilisation. We focused on the Burney Relief, also known as the Queen of the Night, dating back to the Old Babylonian period, around 1800-1750 BCE. It is an intriguing artefact, featuring a naked female figure with wings and bird talons. It is thought to be the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar and is notable for its intricate details and symbolism. Another remarkable artefact was Queen Puabi’s headdress and earrings. She lived around 2600 BCE in
the city of Ur, located in present-day Iraq. Her burial chamber contained a wealth of precious items and the opulence of her burial suggested she was probably a high ranking royal woman. The whole of the upper part of the queen’s body was covered with beads of gold, silver, lapis lazuli and agate of exceptionally fine quality that could be worn today. We also saw the treaty on a clay tablet dating back to 669 BCE which Queen Zakutu concluded with the whole nation concerning the succession to the throne of her favourite grandson, Ashurbarnipal.
We proceeded to a room with Egyptian artefacts and listened to our guide telling us the story of the mummy of Katebet, a woman who was a Chantress of Amun and would have
sung and performed music during the rituals that were performed in the temples of Thebes in Ancient Egypt. Her body was preserved and wrapped within layers of linen about 1320-1280 BCE. The mask covering her head has a gilded face. Her hands are depicted as crossed around her chest, wearing rings and jewellery. Further down is a small dark scarab beetle which provided her magical protection when
the gods judged her. There is also a Shabti, a little figurine which was intended to act as a servant for the deceased and to do the manual labour in the afterlife.
Moving onto the Anglo-Saxon period, we found out that a woman, Edith Pretty, who was the owner of the Sutton Hoo estate in Suffolk, initiated an archaeological excavation on her property, which led to the discovery in 1939 of a ship burial, and among the remarkable artefacts found was the Sutton Hoo Helmet, an iconic piece of early 7 th century Anglo-Saxon art and craftsmanship.
Moving to African artefacts, we admired the exquisite craftsmanship of a 16th century, Ivory mask usually identified with Idia, the mother of Oba Esigie, who established the special place of the Queen mother in Benin society.
From India we looked at an 18th century sandstone stele, known as a Sati stone, a memorial to Indian widows found all over India. The practice of sati, an ancient Hindu funeral custom, was the act of a widow self-immolating by jumping into her husband’s funeral pyre. The stele was meant to serve as a symbol of honour and sacrifice. Altough banned in the 19th century, cases of sati have been recorded between 2000 and 2019 !
We ended our tour with a lovely lunch at a nearby restaurant.
ANASTASIA LOPOUKHINE 'ON LINE' EXHIBITION 29 November 2023
For her first solo exhibition in London, young truly international and polyglot artist Anastasia Lopoukhine and curator Randle White kindly gave to members of the Lyceum Club and their friends the exclusivity of a private viewing and a special tour of the gallery.
Born in Paris from French & Russian parents, she was educated in the UK before graduating at the New York Academy of Art. Inspired by her story, family memories and those around her, she uses pen, ink, charcoal and collage to express her creativity in a spontaneous and humoristic way. Her style remains unique and shows already great maturity and with total control of the drawing technique.
Her auto portrait ‘I DO’, three letters which changed her life earlier this year, her series of collage of a quarter of Yerevan, her jar of countless beautiful butterflies or the two exquisite oysters, the eagles flying and many more are just examples of a very accomplished artist.
It was great that members could discover Anastasia’s talents, definitively an artist to follow. She will be back in Europe in March to exhibit in Paris.
Instagram@anastasialopalopa and website alopoukhine.com
Chanel fashion-manifesto at the v&A 5 November 2023
We had the opportunity to visit this first UK CHANEL exhibition, based on and relooked from the 2020 exhibition at the Palais Galliera in Paris. This wonderfully curated exhibition shows the evolution of Gabrielle « Coco » Chanel’s designs and the establishment of the house of Chanel - from the opening of her first millinery boutique in Paris in 1910, aged 27 yo, to the showing of her final collection in 1971.
The exhibition figures more than 200 pieces alongside jewellery, accessories and fragrance. We were also able to enjoy rarely seen looks from the V&A collection as well as archive pieces from the Chanel’s Heritage collection, including clothing worn by Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich.
Coco Chanel was an Anglophile with strong personal and professional links to Great Britain which this exhibition partly reflects. She opened her first boutique in 1927 in London, offering clothes tailored for British customers, working directly with British textile manufacturers.
In the fashion industry, Coco Chanel was exceptional. She was a pioneer designer who simplified silhouettes freeing women from corsetry. She was the first one to use cotton jersey in womenswear, introduced the “little black dress”and made bouclé jacket and skirts a unique style.
Gabrielle « Coco » Chanel was not only famous for her extraordinary talent but also for her strong personality and known for her famous quotes- among them :
“Elegance is refusal.”
“In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”
“I only drink Champagne on two occasions, when I am in love and when I am not.”
“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance »
“ I don’t do fashion. I am fashion.”
GUIDED TOUR OF THE BRITISH LIBRARY 28 OCTOBER 2023
Our guided tour started with us looking at a 3D model of the British Library building
established in 1973, prior to that it was part of the British Museum. It was opened in 1998by Queen Elisabeth II. It houses over 170 million items including books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazine prints, drawings, music scores and patents stored beneath the main library in the five levels of basement reaching 24 metres underground as deep as the Victoria line that runs alongside them. To continue to read...
MESSAGE IN THE BOTTLE AT SADLER'S WELLS 12 OCTOBER 2023
Message In A Bottle is a spectacular dance-theatre show by Sadler's Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince, set to the music of 17-time Grammy Award-winning Sting including the hit songs "Every Breath You Take", "Roxanne", "Walking on the Moon", and more. The show features the astonishing talents of dance storytelling Zoo Nation: The Kate Prince Company. It has been filmed for cinema release in 2024.
The international refugee crisis is at the center of Message In A Bottle - an imagined story about one displaced family, and a universal story of loss, fear, survival, hope and love. To continue to read...
photo credit: Lynn Theisen
MAYFAIR ART EXPLORATION TOUR 7 OCTOBER 2023
Jolanda Chandler’s inspiring and relaxed tour introduced us to the work of different contemporary artists starting with Yinka Shonibare at the Cristea Roberts Gallery. He is a British-Nigerian artist whose work explores cultural identity, colonialism and post-colonialism. A hallmark of his art is the brightly coloured Ankara fabric he uses. Because he has a disability, Shonibare uses assistants to make works under his direction. To continue to read...
SUMMER PROGRAMME : HAPPYHOUR@THECLUB 21 AUGUST 2023
For the last event of our Summer Programme, we headed off to the Lansdowne Club taking advantage of Monday Happy Hour and to complete the evening we were invited to visit the Caledonian Club by one of our friends who had the opportunity to use the reciprocal arrangement of his own club. The Caledonian Club offers a very cosy home to their members. We very much enjoyed it!
SUMMER PROGRAMME: BERTHE MORISOT 19 AUGUST 2023
The exhibition of the Berthe Morisot at the Dulwich Picture Gallery gave us the opportunity to explore the south of London. It is the first major exhibition of this impressionist painter who is less known to us then her friends Renoir, Monet, Manet...The 30 pieces of work are on display with other paintings by artists who have inspired Berthe when she visited England.
It was a small, nevertheless a top quality exhibition. We had enough time to visit the permanent exhibition of the museum which was the result of a commission from the King of Poland to create a Royal collection. But before the collection was completed, Poland was partitioned by its neighbors and the King was force to abdicate.
We continued with a Lebanese lunch and a walk in Dulwich Park.
SUMMER PROGRAMME: MASTERS OF ART DEGREE SHOW 25 JULY
For our second event on our Summer Programme, we were joined by Celeste, a lovely Chinese PHD student from Madrid who is currently studying the work of two Spanish writers who were members of the Lyceum Club of Madrid. She found our website and went it to know more about us.
Together, we visited the exhibition of the recently graduated master students of the Prince Foundation's school of Arts, specialised in the transmission of tradition art. Through our discussion with the students, we found out more about the technic and medium used and what inspired them to produce such beautiful works of art and the motivation to keep alive the traditions transmitted generation after generation.
We finished our visit at a nearby bar.
SUMMER PROGRAMME: HEATHERLEYS GRADUATES 2023 19 JULY
The first event on our Summer Programme was the visit of the exhibition of works by graduate students of the Heatherley School of Arts.
The works on display were very interesting and impressive by the standard of quality and it was a great opportunity to meet with some of the students all too happy to share their passion.
An excellent visit which was followed by a convivial lunch at the terrace of a nearby restaurant, enjoying the sunny day.
24th June 2023 - NEAC Annual Exhibition 2023
The Piccadilly Waterstones café located at the back of the bookshop on the first floor, is a surprising oasis of calm in the centre of London. It was the perfect venue to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee before heading to the New English Art Club annual exhibition on the Mall a few minutes away.
In the pleasantly cool gallery contrasting with the heat outside, artist Neil Pittaway RA and NEAC member led a tour of the three roomed gallery. He briefly highlighted the history of the NEAC which was founded in 1886 as a response to the conservative policies of the Royal Academy of Arts. The NEAC sought to promote and exhibit contemporary, innovative and non-academic art. It played a significant role in the development of British art, particularly in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. Artists like Walter Sicker, Vanessa Bell and Gwen John for example have been associated with the club. The club welcomes artists working in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Members and selected artists display their figurative works which are available for purchase ranging from £145 to £15 850 at the 2023 annual exhibition. It was amusing to hear from Neil Pittaway that some works can also be rejected by the jury because the framing or even the signature.
We asked Neil Pittaway to show us a delightful small oil painting by the 103 years old Diana Armfield RA “Spring Time, Entrance to Pensford Field” who has a special connection to the Lyceum Club as the niece of Constance Smedley, the club founder. He also drew our attention to the layout, arrangement and connections between the paintings to create an engaging and cohesive viewing experience. Factors liked wall colours, style, subject matter, themes or lighting are taken into consideration. There was for example a wall painted in grey, highlighting some small works clustered together. The grey wall mirrored another one in the gallery thus creating an instant connection. There was also a memorial wall for members of the NEAC who passed away in 2022/2023 : Antony Green, Dawn Sidoli, Fred Cuming and Ken Howard.
The NEAC is a registered charity which relies on the generosity of their supporters to be able to help aspiring, emerging and established figurative artists through teaching, scholarships and exhibiting.
21st June 2023 - bletchley park talk by ruth bourne at the ognisko polskie
The venue for both talks about Bletchley Park, home of the legendary World War 2 code
breakers, was the Polish Club in South Kensington.
Mark Lubienski who describes himself as a lifelong Londoner with a keen interest in Britain’s conflicts, the military and secret intelligence – topics on which he does research and writes, explained to us that the Polish contributions provided a crucial foundation for the subsequent code-breaking efforts at Bletchley Park. In the 1930’s, Polish mathematicians Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Rozycki and Henryk Zygalski developed methods and techniques to identify patterns and exploit weaknesses in the Enigma machine’s encryption algorithms. They also constructed replicas of the enigma machine and built a mechanical device known as the “Bomba” to assist in the decryption process. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, many Polish cryptanalysts fled to France and later to Britain, where they continued their work at Bletchley Park. Alan Turing and his team further refined the techniques and developed the electromechanical “Bombe” machines, which greatly accelerated the deciphering process, ultimately aiding the Allied war effort and contributing to their victory.
Ruth Bourne followed and gave us a vivid and humorous account of her experience as a WREN (the Women’s Royal Naval Service) and Turing Bombe Operator. WRENs were involved in operating and maintaining the machines used for decryption, analysing intercepted messages and carrying out other vital duties to support the code-breaking operations. The contributions of WRENs and other women were significant and often overlooked for many years after the war. It was only in the 1970s that information about the code-breaking activities at Bletchley Park started to be declassified. In recent years however, numerous books (“The Bletchley Girls : War, Secrecy, Love and Loss : the Women of Bletchley Park Tell Their Story” by Tessa Dunlop) documentaries (“The Secret Life of Bletchley Park” - 2012 )and films have been dedicated to sharing their stories and shedding light on their vital role in code-breaking and intelligence gathering. In 2018 a new exhibition called “D-Day : Interception, Intelligence, Invasion” was opened at Bletchley Park, focusing on the role of women in intercepting and decrypting German communications during the D-Day landings.
Some time was allocated to questions to Ruth followed by drinks and nibbles.
13th June 2023 - piano recital by giacomo tora at the lansdowne club
In the magnificent ballroom of the Lansdowne club, we enjoyed the beautifully interpreted pieces of Bach and Chopin played by the young and talented Italian pianist: Giacomo Tora. He is a prize winner of several piano competitions in Italy, Spain and the UK and has been the recipient of important academic awards . His most recent performances in London feature his presence at a concert presented by ABRSM and Classic FM at the South Bank Centre, multiple recitals at St James’ Piccadilly and has been invited to international concert series. He is a member of the Incorporated Society of Musicians UK.
He played works by Bach (Italian Concerto in F Major BWV 971, Aria Variata in A minor BWV 989, Prelude in C Major BWV 846, Prelude and Fugue in E Major BWV 878) and Chopin (Prelude No 23 in F Major , Prelude No 2 in A minor, Etude Op 25 No 12, Prelude No 4 in E minor, Prelude No 7 in A Major) explaining the connection between both composers and how Chopin was influenced by Bach.
Those who decided to stay after the recital, continued the evening at the Courtyard, enjoying a friendly dinner and conversation.
10th June 2023 - London open gardens
We had the opportunity to explore five private London gardens which are normally inaccessible to the public in unusually hot weather conditions, the temperature soared to 30 degrees in the afternoon!
We started in the tranquil retreat of the Victorian Queen’s Gate Gardens away from bustling South Kensington before taking a black cab to Cadogan Place North and South Gardens on either side of Pont Street. The South Garden is bigger, has 2 tennis courts, a playground and a bee area as well a white wisteria arch and a “Black mulberry” thought to be over 200 years old. Many trees were lost as a result of Dutch elm disease in the 1970s and the “Great Storm” of 1987. Today following extensive replanting, Cadogan Place garden remains one of the largest garden squares in Chelsea.
A few minutes walk away is Eaton Garden. It forms a tranquil retreat of formal lawns, seasonal bedding displays, a tennis court, shady pathways and a seating area where we had lunch. Lofty London plane trees complement the grand terraced properties. Former residents include Neville Chamberlain, Vivien Leigh and Sean Connery.
We ended our walking tour with a few glasses of Pimm’s in one of the 4 sheltered seating areas known as “The Temples” in Belgravia Gardens. Some of the mature London planes date back to the original planting in 1826, the garden has also retained some of its original design. However, it has evolved over the years to meet the needs of the community with a tennis court, children’s playground, an outdoor gym, and a “Forest School” for local children, where they can learn about nature, insects and biodiversity. Unlike the other private residential squares, anyone living in Belgravia become a member for an annual fee.
London Open Gardens is a fundraising event for London Parks & Gardens (LPG) enabling the charity to protect London’s green spaces throughout the year.
31st May 2023 - wozzeck at the Royal opera house
Wozzeck, Alban Berg’s operatic masterpiece, was our first outing to the Royal Opera House.
We started the evening with a pre-performance drink in the magnificent light-filled Paul Hamlyn Hall before the drama of Wozzeck began.
Wozzeck, the hero, is a genuinely good man but he is also a traumatised and impoverished veteran. He is subjected to the misdeeds of a succession of characters, each of whom could help him but instead choose to act in ways that degrade him, one at a time, until his eventual destruction. Taunted and exploited by his superiors, he is driven to madness and revenge after he learns of his mistress’s infidelity.
For the Royal Opera’s new production, Deborah Warner sets the work in the present day. The stage is elementary and very dramatic. Deborah Warner’s focused and vivid new production avoids caricature, and, with superb singing and Antonio Pappano’s conducting, drama and music dovetail perfectly.
At the point of crisis, a crimson moon is eclipsed, to spectacular effect, as the orchestra sounds its roaring, unison note in a terrifying crescendo. Direction and music are forged as one.
An experience which definitely gets under your skin.
25th May 2023 - THE ANCIENT BEAUTIES - CHINESE ART WITH FEMALE FORM
Shanshan Wang (W. Shanshan Art Gallery) shared her knowledge and passion for Asian antiquities with our group. Not only did we learn about the objects but we were also able to touch them!
We started by trying to guess, through touch, what an object covered with a scarf was. It turned out to be a natural stone called a Gogotte, formed 30 million years ago and found in the Fontainebleau forest near Paris . It is a natural sculpture which looked like a lady’s head with a hair bun similar to the Chinese Tang dynasty court lady on display.
In chronological order we then moved to the so-called stick lady from an imperial tomb in the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220BCE), which was made to accompany the emperor or empress in their afterlife. Originally the lady was well dressed, presumably in silk, and had two moveable wooden arms attached. The whole figure was cold painted with multiple colours to make it look alive.
The next sculpture was the terracotta Sichuan Dancing Lady also from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220CE). Her elaborate flower hair ornament, with three chrysanthemums symbolising prosperity in Eastern Asian Culture were particularly exquisite. Although both figures are from the Han dynasty, the styles are completely different reflecting the different cultures and lifestyles from the Sichuan area and the the central plain around the capital.
We then focused on two figures from the more recent Tang dynasty (618 – 907 CE); a woman on horseback playing polo and the other, know as the Fat Lady Dressed in Blue with a Bird. Similar pottery figures from the Tang dynasty are fairly common but those with blue glaze are very rare, since the cobalt blue was imported from Central Asia and highly valued.
In addition to being a chemist and collector, Shanshan is also an artist herself. We admired her drawings with calligraphy of two contrasting female figures on a handscroll. Lightweight and mobile, scrolls were meant to be enjoyed, and even stamped by eminent visitors who had seen them. They would then be rolled up again and preserved until the next special occasion!
16th May 2023 - Concert at Leighton House
In the superb setting of Leighton House, we enjoyed the last concert of the 2022-2023 season of the Kensington and Chelsea Music Society with Guy Johnston at the cello accompanied by William Vann at the piano. They beautifully performed the cello sonatas by Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Gabriel Fauré and the contemporary British composer Joseph Phibbs.
Guy Johnston is one of the most exciting British cellists of his generation. His early successes included winning the BBC Young Musician of the Year and significant awards notably the Young British Classical Performer Brit Award. He performs with many leading international orchestras including the London Philharmonic, the BBC Philharmonic etc. He is a passionate advocate for chamber music and recitals and performs regularly at prestigious venues and festivals across Europe. He is also patron of several charities which promote music education for school children and young people.
William Vann is a multiple prize winning and critically acclaimed conductor and accompanist with an extensive discography and is also, amongst other things, the chairman of Kensington and Chelsea Music Society.
A few minutes away from Leighton House, we enjoyed afterwards a tasty meal at the Iranian restaurant “Apadana” which has long been established as a staple of Persian dining in London since opening its doors in 1967.
11th to 14th may - international cultural days in athens
The international Lyceum Club in Athens hosted the international event this year which
included two days in Athens and one day on two Greek islands.
We started the cultural days with a cocktail reception at the Lykeion ton Ellinidon, home of the Greek Lyceum Club. Its elegant neoclassical façade and interior design is a testament to the architectural beauty of Athens, befitting the club’s mission to foster art, culture and education. There were more than 200 participants from all over the world : Australia, Germany, Belgium, France, Cyprus, Finland, Georgia, Italy, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and for the first time the United Kingdom with London and Edinburgh, a testimony to the international dimension of the Lyceum Club.
On the following day we went on a bus tour of Athens which included a visit to the
Acropolis. Each bus was marked with a colour according to the different languages (English, French and German). We were given a name badge with little cards matching the colour of the bus we were assigned to. How organised is that !