Art Deco, Burgh Island and Tamara de Lempicka - May 2026

Portrait of the Month - Lord John Stuart and his brother, Lord Bernard Stuart

Members were able to reflect on this masterpiece painted by Anthony van Dyke sometime around 1638. The painting is on display at the National Gallery. 

More information on van Dyck is available at Wikipedia.

Art Deco

Art Deco is a sleek, glamorous design style that took the world by storm in the 1920s and 1930s. It influenced everything from architecture (like the Empire State Building) and interior design to fashion, cars, and everyday household objects.

It was all about looking forward to the future, celebrating modern machine age technology, and basking in post-WWI luxury. For a short video overview, click here.

Art deco figurines were particularly popular at the time and this excellent short video explains the different types and styles. 

Burgh Island

Janet shared the fascinating history of the Art Deco Burgh Island. A popular location for 1920’s and 1930’s celebrities, such as Agatha Christie, in South Devon. Members were keen to take a trip on the sea tractor! For more information on Burgh Island, watch this video.

Tamara de Lempicka

A very popular painter of the era was Tamara de Lempicka. Lempicka was a Polish painter who spent her working life in France and the United States. She is best known for her polished Art Deco portraits of aristocrats and the wealthy, and for her highly stylized paintings of nudes.

Image source and licence