Details of the lecture or event

“We are the two great painters of this era; you are in the Egyptian style, I in the modern style.” Henri Rousseau said these words to Pablo Picasso in 1908, but how did Henri Rousseau, who had no formal artistic training, come to be accepted by the avant-garde artists of his time and today have his art works hang in many of the world’s greatest art collections? In this lecture I will explore the fascinating and enigmatic life and work of the, sometimes called, ‘primitive’ artist Henri Rousseau. The lecture is full of vivid, bright and dynamic paintings which transport the audience far away to exotic lands that were developed in the artist’s imagination. Rousseau was a master of convincing others that he had travelled the world, both with his words and his art, but it is likely that he never left France at all.
The lecture is set against the backdrop of late 19th and early 20th century Paris, and also looks at works by other renowned artists including Picasso, Leger and Gauguin.

Lecturer: Anna Bianco

Anna Bianco ; theartssociety.org

Anna Bianco (née Harnden) is a freelance curator, writer, lecturer, tour guide and art historian. She has been an accredited lecturer of The Arts Society for 11 years. She has a BA History of Art and an MA in Curating from the Courtauld Institute of Art. She has curated exhibitions and displays at The Wallace Collection, The British Museum, The Embankment Galleries and The Southwark Art Collection. She was Director of the Tryon St. Gallery on the Kings Road, and was Associate Curator at Copperfield Gallery, Southwark. She was also Senior Curator for Faith at Auckland Castle in County Durham. She has been a guest lecturer for Christies Education, Durham University, London College of Communication and the Open University. She has also been a tour guide for Context Travel across London.She focuses her work on the medieval and renaissance periods but Anna takes most enjoyment from helping everyone to discover the stories behind art works and museum objects. She is currently in the process of researching and writing her first book. Watch this space!