our annual winter Art Talks.
Venice: the Art and Architecture of La Serenissima
Every winter, starting soon after Christmas, Dublin Decoded run an acclaimed online Art History and Appreciation Course, with a richly-illustrated live, online talk, on Zoom, each Tuesday afternoon, for 8 weeks, presented by Arran Henderson. We usually focus on the art of Italy. Our talks this year explore the unrivaled art of the fabled city of Venice – “the most Serene Republic” with its dazzling Gothic, Byzantine and Renaissance palaces and church archiecture; its astonishing treasures like mosaics and sculpture, and of course, paintings. Paintings executed by legendary names like Giorgione, Titian, and the Bellini family, Carpaccio, Paulo Veronese and Tiepolo, Canaletto and many others.
These talks (and the lavish quantity of beautifully illustrated artworks that accompany them) are well-known for making interesting ideas about art and art history enjoyable and accessible: as we use over twenty years experience, explaining, teaching and illuminating art, to bring these enigmatic artworks to life, giving layers of context, symbolism and meaning, and help you understand and enjoy Art as never before.
For people who buy tickets before the talks commence each year: each talk can be joined live and/or can be watched later, as a recorded version. (Every ticket holder is automatically sent the links for both the live and recorded versions, every week) The first four talks of this year’s course have now been delivered, and the first half of the course is concluded. But a discounted, block ticket is now available for all these 4 talks/videos in recorded version. (The first four are now of course only available in recorded versions) The four videos cover..
- Talk 1: the Basilica of San Marco and its artworks (including Crusader spoils, the mosaics, the floors, the Pala d’Oro, etc)
- Talk 2: Painting in Venice in the 1300s and early 1400s (and painting all around Italy, in that same era, including in Florence and in Padua)
- Talk 3 had (and has) two themes: one succinctly covers Tomb sculpture in Venice from Medieval into the Renaissance era, with sculptors like Lamberti, Bregno, Rizzo, and the remarkable Lombardo and Bon families. This talk also featured a second theme: an illustrated discussion on Gothic architecture and Venetian-Gothic architecture- ( and what is the difference?)
- Talk 4: Painting in Venice in the second half of the 1400s and the early 1500s, including the introduction of oil painting. Discussion of two famous families of Venetian Painters in Venice, the Vivarini and Bellini families. Special emphasis on the genius of Giovanni Bellini, and the various influences on him, including Andrea Mantegna and Antonella da Messina
The Recorded version of these first four video talks are now available to purchase as a block of four talks (Talks 1-4 only) Because they’re Recorded- with no option to watch live- these are now half the previous price, just €25 plus booking fee (approximate +3%) The talks contain over 150 slides/ images per talk, including multiple details and close-ups, and of course, voice-over interpretation of the artworks. As purchasers are instantly sent all four videos, and as all 4 are immediately accessible to view, there can of course, be no cancellation or refund option. Please also make certain to enter your email address correctly, as this is how we send you your 4 Venice Art videos. We are now unfortunately unable to offer (currently) a gifting option. Tickets for RECORDED VERSION TALKS 1-4 may be purchased HERE.
The Final Four talks, still to come, as I write early February 2023, cover, in order:
- Talk 5- the paintings of Giorgione and Titian; the Architecture of Sansovino and Palladio.
- Talk 6 the Doges palace and the paintings of Tintoretto and Paulo Veronese;
- Talk 7 The Eighteenth Century in Venice: masks, carnivals, the Grand Tour, and the Art of Canaletto.
- Talk 8, our last presentation, is an insider’s guide to Venice.
This last talk (talk 8) includes lists of my favourite Venice itineraries, walking routes, palaces, and churches, and great art to see in Venice, sometimes hidden in tucked-away places. As talks 5-8 have yet to commence, ticket sales are open up to MONDAY afternoon, 13 February. Every ticket-holder who purchases, prior to then, will automatically be sent the links for both the live and recorded versions, every week. Block ticket- Talk 5 to Talk 8 inclusive- €50 plus booking fee (approximately +3%) may be found HERE.
Every talk is will be available live: with a link for the live talk sent out several hours before it begins: and every talk is also recorded, and then soon after every live talk has concluded, a separate link to the recorded version will be sent out to all ticket-holders, usually within a few hours.
Weekly Q&A: (On live talks only) Just as in previous years, there is also a Q&A after each live talk, where guests may ask questions or make observations. Everyone is welcome to stay and participate in this, although there is also never any pressure to do so. The Q&A is not recorded and so it is not part of the recording sent out later that day. You make speak, make observations, and/or ask questions freely!
GIFTING: If you buy a ticket before the course begins, then it’s also possible during your purchase to gift them to a friend of family member. Just tick the “gifting” check box, during your online purchase and follow the simple prompts. Being especially careful to enter the correct email address, for your intended recipient. This is the email address we will send the talks to. Unfortunately, once the course (or the second half of the course has begun) we are unable to offer the gifting option service. (We have not worked out a way to do it yet!) People who buy tickets for themselves, however, are very welcome to watch the talks with family members, or friends. We simply ask guests not to share links by email or (ever) on social media, please. Doing so may constitute a violation of copyright and we consider it a breach of trust. Thank you for your understanding on this point.
images: above: the Friari Triptych, by Giovanni Bellini, 1488. below: an image of the Piazza San Marco, in the 1700s, by Antonio Canale (detto Canaletto)
