1.30 - 3.30pm
The course takes place over 9 sessions starting on 10 September 2026.
A new series of nine talks on this ever poular series from Richard. Combining art history, biography and critical analysis you will learn about the lives and works of some important artists and topics.
What did these artists do? Why did they do it? Why does it matter?
Each session will incorporate discussion, PowerPoint presentations, handouts and recommendations for further study.
This short course is suitable for beginners and/or intermediate students, learning will take place in a relaxed and friendly environment, without formal assessment.
Course tutor, Richard Dean MA, is a practicing artist and experienced lecturer who has lectured at universities and art colleges in London and the southeast and at Tate Britain.
10 September
Modigliani; In 14 Paintings and a Sculpture
Some artists are just made for legends. We'll try to separate Modigliani the artist from Modigliani the myth.
17 September
Father and Son: The Two Robert De Niros
The younger Robert De Niro is a really good actor who has won two Oscars. The elder De Niro was a really good but unrecognised painter. This is the story of an artist and a son’s campaign to do justice to his father’s art.
24 September
The Principles of Art History
That’s the title of a classic text by a Swiss historian but really, they’re five principles for understanding what we see when we look at art. Let’s put them to the test.
1 October
Cubes and Cubists
Picasso, Braque, Gris and Leger were the founders of Cubism; the most significant innovation in art since the Renaissance. This is a talk about them and what they did and why.
8 October
Creative Partners
Sometimes artists are lucky enough to find friends who share their ideas and support their work. This talk looks at some of those partnerships: Morisot and Manet, Van Gogh and Van Rappard, Gorky and de Kooning.
15 October
Berthe Morisot
Morisot was one of the first and most committed of the Impressionists – and one of the most interesting and exciting of them all.
22 October
Nicolas De Stael
Stael became an art superstar in the 1950s. He had coped with poverty but sudden success was another matter. Here’s his story.
29 October
Edward Hopper
A talk about America’s senior Realist and the places and meanings of his haunted art.