2025 was another good year for Thames Art Society. In spite of being let down by our planned speaker, Mariska Beekenkemp-Wladimiroff, gave us at short notice a good look at the art of laughter. In February, Mary Sharp brought us the story of Prometheus. We may all have been aware of Zeus‘s displeasure at his giving fire to man, but we may not have seen the hubris of annoying the gods, and the parallels with Frankenstein, and even Christ, with the theme of suffering to save. in March, Lois Oliver enlightened us to add Eduard Manet’s relationship to music. His wife Suzanne was an accomplished pianist, heard by Liszt as a child, and the composer, Chabrier dedicated music to her. When Paris was entranced with all things Spanish Manet painted the gypsy performers.
In April, Rupert Dickens brought us a completely different look at the art world. Record album cover art of the 50s and 60s and 70s embraced creativity. No doubt all of us could remember our favourites, Sergeant Pepper, the White album, Sticky Fingers, Kate Bush’s The Hounds of Love, and Joni Mitchell portraying herself as Van Gogh. in May, Rupert Willoughby on Cool Marble gave an essential guide to Greek sculpture. It is hard now to imagine the bright colours the beautiful Parian marble was painted. When Pericles commissioned the Parthenon with the frieze of 92 metopes depicting battles between the Lapiths-the civilised Greeks and the Centaurs representing the Persians, little did he realise the controversy that continues to this day when Lord Elgin saved the marbles from Turkish destruction, and sold them to the British Museum.
The June talk was planned to enhance a visit to Blenheim Palace. However, when Helene and Helen heard that scaffolding was everywhere, the visit was postponed, and then the speaker was unable to come. We were grateful then to Amy Lim, for standing in at short notice and giving a great talk on the Baroque House, the style that came out of the Counter Reformation in the late 17th century. Boughton House, Burghley, Chatsworth and Blenheim all wonderful examples. Vanbrugh had already built Castle Howard when John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough was given the manor of Woodstock as a gift for being the hero of the Battle of Blenheim and victory over France. The project of course got out of hand and Blenheim became the most expensive private house ever built. Is it any wonder that the Duchess never liked it?
After our summer break, Pauline Chakmakjian, took us to Kyoto and the Cult of Beauty with its temples of Golden Pavilion and Silver pavilion and the Japanese love of symbolism of flowers. The philosophical principle of ‘enjoying life now because time is fleeting’ seems eminently sensible. Julia Musgrove brought the Bloomsbury group to us in October. They lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles, and Vanessa Bell certainly stuck to the script. Married to Clive Bell, she painted with Roger Fry, was open to all the modernist movements in the early 20th century, and involved with his Omega workshop. She made designs for sister Virginia’s Hogarth Press.. She is sometimes eclipsed by Duncan Grant her lifelong partner. He was of course gay,
but they had a daughter Angelica, who married one of her father’s lovers. Will we ever tire of thisbohemian group who had the money and staff to let their talents flourish
Helen deJean brought us Magic in Byzantium in November, showing us some of the magical thinking with alchemy, amulets, and augury still in vogue. Evil eyes and wands are seen, and in the Treasury in St Marks, a little glass bowl was used for lecanomancy, the art of divination using ripples in water or oil.
For our December, meeting we like to have some reference to Christmas and Nirvana Rommel brought us a social history of the Nativity. We have had 802 years of it. Celebration of the Magi dominated the first millennia. Saint Francis of Assisi felt that the actual birth of Christ should be celebrated, so in 1223, he wrote to the Pope for permission to stage a nativity with a swaddled doll. He wrote a carol in the local dialect and the villagers all participated and clearly enjoyed it, and a new festivity was started.
Helen joined us for a glass of wine and a mince pie in the bar afterwards for our traditional Christmas get together.
Our first visit of the year was to Stonor House at the beginning of May. It was a hot day. How cool, the house with all its layers of history felt by contrast, and how poignant to learn about Sir Edmund Campion and the hiding space whilst printing the Ten Reasons’ pamphlet in the 1580’s. The gardens were delightful to wander around in, and Helen and Helene had thoughtfully provided water and even sun hats.
In October, the visit to the Musical Museum in Brentford, was a great success. I understand the staff looked after the groups beautifully, and gave some wonderful demonstrations of the instruments.
We are back on track with study days and in April with Covent Garden, a story in three acts, Simon Whitehouse brought the structure, the sex trade, and the theatres, with coffee and a good lunch in-between. Commissioned by Charles I using Inigo Jones, the European influence with piazza and colonnades is evident. Artists such as Anthony van Dyck, and Peter Lely lived in this area. and In 1662, Punch and Judy was first performed here. Charles II gave puppeteers professor status, and there is an annual May Punch and Judy festival. In the market itself, watercress was eaten like an espresso. Zoffany painted the watercress girl and in early C20 Eliza James was the watercress queen of Covent Garden supplying all the hotels. In 1961 traffic congestion made the market itself move to Nine elms. A plan to knock down the market was fought by the residents,and the site is now protected. Hogarth lived in the area and trained as an engraver with a studio in Leicester Square. We looked in detail at A Harlot‘s Progress where Moll comes down from York, finds a wealthy patron, but very soon shows signs of the pox. She is in prison, then back in a garret flat, very sick, quack
doctors have remedies for syphilis, and the wake shows people drunk and stealing, and a child the only mourner. Coffee houses often had rooms with girls above them. and when a ‘list’ or menu of the girls was published, it caused a sensation. Prophylactics were made of lamb or sheep gut, washed, dried and reused and mercury was the treatment for syphilis. By the early 1800s, when street lighting and the met police force were introduced, the lowlife moved to the East End.
When Charles II was restored to the throne, he commissioned the Royal Opera House and Theatre Royal Drury Lane. He gave out new licenses, allowing the employment of women. And soTheatreland was born.
We are lucky to have Tony Branfield organising the audio visuals which is no simple task. Thank you for your forbearance when perhaps the microphone is a bit off, or the speakers memory stick will not talk to the projector. Steve puts out the chairs for us, but we now organise coffee and teas before the meetings ourselves. Thank you to all members who contribute to this. It really is not a difficult job and actually quite enjoyable so I hope more people will volunteer.
The committee works well together and we are now joined by Dallas Banfield. We are already planning for 2027 and we thank you for your continued membership and support.
Heather Conlin