2025 Birthday Lecture (Dr Emma Sdegno, Associate Professor at Ca’ Foscari University, Venice). Title: ‘“Drawing Nearer the City with a Camera”: Views of Ruskin’s Venice’, including the UK Premier of a film entitled The city is lost. Ruskin’s Venice Today, by Alessandra Lancellotti (produced by FoRS (Focus on Ruskin Studies) at Ca’ Foscari University, Caucaso Film Factory 2024). Venue: Art Workers’ Guild (Queen Square London WC1N 3AT) on Saturday 8th February
The Society would like to thank Dr Emma Sdegno, who flew all the way from Venice to address the Society on the subject of Ruskin’s cinematic eye, contrasting his way of situating readers in a scene and descriptively choreographying a sequence of ‘shots’ with the less satisfying viewing system of the train window. This fascinating discussion of Ruskin’s way of prefiguring cinematic method proved a rich sequel to an earlier Society event focused on Ruskin as he has been represented in film. The event was also distinguished for playing host to the first UK premier of Allessandra Lancelotti’s The city is lost. Ruskin’s Venice Today.
2024 Birthday Lecture (Sarah Quill, ‘“Infinite Variety”: Ruskin and the Capitals of the Ducal Palace, Venice’) and AGM (17 February 2024) at The Art Workers’ Guild (https://www.artworkersguild.org/), 6 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AT
The Society would like to thank Sarah Quill, our 2024 Birthday Lecturer, who gave members a fascinating glimpse into the history of the famous capitals of the Ducal Palace in Venice. Among the many topics covered, she mentioned the sunk appearance of the columns as seen from the piazza, the special qualities of Istrian stone (including the polish it takes under innumerable passing hands), and the distribution of originals and copies across the building’s interior and exterior. As is becoming customary, members also enjoyed a selection of home-made cakes in-between the AGM and the lecture.
‘Ruskin and Film’ (2pm-5pm, Saturday, 27 May 2023): a discussion between Prof. Jeffrey Richards (RS President) and Sir Christopher Frayling at The Art Workers’ Guild (https://www.artworkersguild.org/), 6 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AT
In May 2023, members enjoyed a joint talk by two cultural historians, the former Rector of the Royal College of Art, Sir Christopher Frayling, and the Society’s President, Prof. Jeffrey Richards. Among other things, the speakers considered Ruskin’s often caricatured representation on celluloid, and the ways in which this has affected his reputation.
2023 ‘Birthday Lecture (14.30-16.30, Saturday, 11 February 2023): Dr Stuart Eagles, ‘”Sparks blown into flame”: Revisiting Ruskin’s Sheffield Museum’ at The Art Workers’ Guild (https://www.artworkersguild.org/), 6 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AT.
The Society would like to thank all those members who attended our hugely successful Birthday Lecture and AGM in February 2023. Our lecturer, Dr Stuart Eagles, gave a fascinating lecture on St George’s Museum at Sheffield. The Society also presented two of its members with Honorary Lifetime Membership to recognise their longstanding loyalty and service to the Society: our former secretary, Dr Stuart Eagles, and Prof. Robert Hewison. We presented each with a pewter paper weight cast from a walnut shell.
We would also like to thank those members who enhanced the festivities by donating cakes and biscuits!
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