In August 2026, the group began the session by reviewing a mystery painting.
The painting was in fact by Edward Hopper, 1882 - 1967
Of the work Hopper said...
“I didn’t see it as particularly lonely. I simplified the scene a great deal and made the restaurant bigger. Unconsciously, probably, I was painting the loneliness of a large city”
On display in the Art Institute Chicago, here is a link to the painting
Thomas Cooper Gotch, 1854 - 1931
We were inspired by a particular piece of art by Thomas Gotch, presented by Sue Titman.
'A Child Enthroned' was a rework of a painting of his daughter completed two years earlier.
This was in a pre-Raphaelite style, using vibrant colours.
Image source and licence
Image source and licence
Image source and licence
William Billingsley, 1758 – 1828
Mark Wilson presented a collection of porcelain painted by William Billingsley.
Billingsley trained in his home town of Derby and had a paint workshop in Mansfield for a while.
Much of his career was spent working at Derby, Worcester and Coalport Porcelain.
Antoni Gaudi, 1852 - 1926
A few facts about Gaudi...
- Passionate about architecture, nature and religion
- Widely known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernisme
- Combined crafts such as ceramics, stained glass, wrought ironwork and carpentry
- Introduced ‘trencadis’ – using waste ceramic pieces
- Most famous for the Sagrada Familia
- Furniture designer
Elies Rogent, the Director of Barcelona Architecture School said of Gaudi...
"We have given this academic title either to a fool or a genius.
Time will show."
Gaudi’s first commission on leaving Architecture School was the Lampadaires - street lamps - in Barcelona.
These can be found on the Plaça Reial, near the central fountain and also Pla de Palau
Image source and licence
Image source and licence
