MENU PREVIOUS LECTURES


× Home Our Society
About Us Joining Us Where We Meet What Is The Arts Society? Committee Documents
Lectures Visits & Tours Study Days News Diary Volunteering
Arts Volunteers Heritage Volunteers Church Recorders Trails
Galleries
Galleries Archived Galleries
Web Page Links
Useful Links Culture Links Videos
Contact Us


Click here for future lectures



Click here for future lectures

18 June 2026THE ART OF TRICKERY: HOW MAGICIANS ARE SEEN IN PAINTINGS, PRINTS AND CARTOONS
21 May 2026GOING POTTY ABOUT COMMODES
16 April 2026ART TRANSPORTED: HOW DID IT GET HERE FROM WHERE IT WAS MADE? WHO OWNED IT BEFORE
19 March 2026DAVID HOCKNEY - THE OLD MASTER OF THE MODERN WORLD
19 February 2026PORTRAITS IN STONE: THE GREAT CATHEDRALS
15 January 2026AN INTRODUCTION TO ICE AGE ART NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE TO STIRLING COURT HOTEL
11 December 2025FROM DINGLEY DELL TO “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” - CHARLES DICKENS AND CHRISTMAS
20 November 2025SIXTY YEARS ON - LIFE IN BRITAIN AS SEEN IN 1960 FILMS
16 October 2025CATHERINE THE GREAT - AUTOCRAT AND PATRON OF THE ARTS
18 September 2025ENCHANTED WOODS - THE LOST WORLD OF RUPERT BEAR
19 June 2025THE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE HUGUENOTS
15 May 2025THE ART MARKET – HOW DOES IT WORK?
17 April 2025THE ART OF THE JAPANESE GARDEN: FROM TRADITION TO MODERNITY
20 March 2025WOMEN COLLECTORS AND THE EARLY RECEPTIONS OF IMPRESSIONISM
20 February 2025THE MEN WHO MADE MENSWEAR 11am
16 January 2025SALVADOR DALI - DELUDED AND DANGEROUS OR DARING AND DIFFERENT?
12 December 2024THE ART OF QUACKERY
21 November 2024TWO GLASGOW BOYS - GEORGE HENRY AND EDWARD ATKINSON HORNEL
17 October 2024THE ART OF HUMOUR IN THE MIDDLE AGES
19 September 2024LOST ON THE TITANIC – THE STORY OF THE GREAT OMAR BINDING
20 June 2024WITH SHACKLETON TO SOUTH GEORGIA, ELEPHANT ISLAND & THE ANTARCTIC
16 May 2024ANCIENT FACES, FLINDERS PETRIE AND MUMMY PORTRAITS
18 April 2024THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG
21 March 2024THE BLUE HOUR: PAINTING THE NORTH
15 February 2024HISTORY OF JAPANESE WOODCUT
18 January 2024THE ART OF ANCIENT MOSAIC
14 December 2023WELCOME HOME, JEEVES: P.G. WODEHOUSE IN LONDON
23 November 2023THE ART OF CAMEO GLASS
19 October 2023THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION OF CENTRAL AMERICA
21 September 2023ORIENTALIST ART: ARTIST TRAVELLERS TO THE NEAR EAST
15 June 2023GHASTLY GOOD TASTE
18 May 2023THE HERITAGE OF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN
20 April 2023TREASURES FROM MINES AND MOUNTAINS
16 March 2023HISTORY OF WINE
16 February 2023HOGARTH AND EUROPE
19 January 2023OLEKSANDR BOHOMAZOV 1880-1930: THE LOST FUTURIST OF UKRAINE
15 December 2022JOSEPH OF NAZARETH
22 November 2022*** THE STORY OF SCOTTISH ART ***
17 November 2022MARS AND THE MUSES
20 October 2022COLOURING THE RUSSIANS
15 September 2022LEONARDO, MAESTRO DEL DISEGNO, AT THE COURT OF MILAN
16 June 2022UNDRESSING ANTIQUES
19 May 2022HISTORY OF WALLPAPER
21 April 2022DEBO, DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE
17 March 2022AN (almost) A to Z of MODERN SCOTTISH WOMEN ARTISTS
17 February 2022ROSALBA CARRIERA
20 January 2022IT’S NOT JUST TCHAIKOVSKY
16 December 2021THE MAGIC OF PANTOMIME
18 November 2021INDIANS, BUFFALO AND STORMS: THE AMERICAN WEST IN 19TH CENTURY ART
21 October 2021MIRRORS AND TORRENTS: WATER IN HISTORIC GARDENS
16 September 2021COLOUR AND THE ARTIST’S PALETTE: SEEING RED
17 June 2021NOTHING TO DECLARE: ART STOPPED AT CUSTOMS
20 May 2021FROM LEVINA TO ARTEMISIA
22 April 2021HERE BE DRAGONS: MONSTERS IN SCULPTURE
19 March 2021PUNCH AND JUDY
18 February 2021THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
21 January 2021SINAN AND THE GLORIES OF OTTOMAN ARCHITECTURE
17 December 2020MESSENGER OR MISSILE? ANGELS DARK TIDINGS DOOM GLOOM OR PERDITION
19 November 2020WITH JUST A NEEDLE AND THREAD
22 October 2020IMPERIAL CALCUTTA: ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE
17 September 2020THE STUFF OF LIFE: A HISTORY OF STILL LIFE
09 August 2020"The Curious World of Hieronymus Bosch"
18 June 2020PAINTING THE MODERN GARDEN - MONET TO MATISSE
18 May 2020'THE GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING' AND OTHER TREASURES FROM THE MAURITSHUIS
17 May 2020A DECORATIVE ART: HISTORY OF WALLPAPERS
16 April 2020THE SWORD AND THE STAFF:ART AND ARCHITECTURE ON THE PILGRIM WAY TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
19 March 2020IMPERIAL CALCUTTA: ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE - CANCELLED
11 March 2020EVENING LECTURE WORD AND IMAGE IN MODERN PAINTING
20 February 2020MESOAMERICA-MAYA: BONAMPAK MURALS ‘SISTINE CHAPEL OF THE AMERICAS’
16 January 2020THE DIVINE RAPHAEL
19 December 2019THE FOUNDATIONS OF FASHION: THE HISTORY OF UNDERWEAR FROM 18th TO 20thc
21 November 2019PEOPLE, PLACES AND PIAZZAS: THE LIFE AND ART OF CHARLES H. MACKIE
17 October 2019A CHILD OF 6 COULD DO IT! CARTOONISTS’ VIEWS OF MODERN ART
19 September 2019FROM DOWNTON TO GATSBY: JEWELLERY AND FASHION 1890 to 1929
20 June 2019THE MAGIC OF PRAGUE: CZECH ART AND CULTURE
16 May 2019PEASANT PASTIMES? THE ART OF PIETER BRUEGEL THE ELDER
18 April 2019MASTERS OF THE NORTH : THE GOLDEN AGE OF NORDIC PAINTING
21 March 2019TANTRUMS AND TIARAS : BACKSTAGE AT COVENT GARDEN
21 February 2019THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW : BEHIND THE SCENES AND THE GREAT DISCOVERIES
17 January 2019THE PLAGUE: ART AND THE ULTIMATE CALAMITY
13 December 2018STAINED GLASS DESIGN AND CREATION
15 November 2018REMEMBERING THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1918 - 2018
18 October 2018EDOUARD MANET AND MUSIC
20 September 2018CIXI: Dowager Empress of China
21 June 2018Jane Austen : Her Life and Times
17 May 2018Great Tarts in Art: High Culture and the Oldest Profession
19 April 2018The Age of Jazz”
15 March 2018The world of 18th century porcelain figures
15 February 2018The Cult of the South Pacific: from Cook to Gauguin
18 January 2018Emperor Quianlong (1735-1796)
14 December 2017Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Art of the Four
16 November 2017Scottish artists in London 1700-1800: careers and connections
19 October 2017Russia in Revolt
21 September 2017Japanese Prints and Paintings:Hokusai and Hiroshugi
15 June 2017The two Gustavs: Klimt and Mahler
18 May 2017Carl and Karin Larsson and the IKEA Effect
20 April 2017Photography as Fine Art
16 March 2017Feeling Blue
16 February 2017My father and other artists
19 January 2017The British on the Grand Tour
15 December 2016Paintings of the Nativity
17 November 2016Gillespie Kidd and Coia
20 October 2016"Vive la Difference?" A Woman painter looks at Women Artists
15 September 2016Kandinsky: Colour into abstract art

Click on a row and scroll to display more details about the lecture

Lecture: THE ART OF TRICKERY: HOW MAGICIANS ARE SEEN IN PAINTINGS, PRINTS AND CARTOONS Lecturer: Ian Keable Thursday 18 June 2026

Early artists used the magician to symbolise the mysterious associating them with astrology including Pieter Bruegel and Hieronymus Bosch. The 18th and 19th century saw a proliferation in engravings and lithographs showing magicians indoors and on the streets. Bringing it right up to date cartoonists and satirists delight in linking politicians with skulduggery, vanishing illusions or pulling a rabbit out of the hat. Some of the tricks will be performed.

Ian Keable is a professional magician and Inner Magic Circle member