Soltalk February 2018 | Page 24

Events The Arts Society Nerja The Extraordinary Life of Misia Sert: Celebrated Parisian Socialite 1872-1950 In 1908 Misia saw a production of ‘Boris Godunov’ designed by Serge Diaghilev thus starting a close relationship with Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes. Misia helped finance the company and took a keen interest in the new music by Stravinsky, Satie and others. She was with Diaghilev when he died in Venice in 1929. Tuesday February 13, 2018 at The Cultural Centre (Casa Cultura) Calle Granada, Nerja. 6pm (Doors open at 5pm and tickets only available on the night). Entrance €10. A full illustrated lecture in English by Julian Halsby Sponsored by Sanysol, Vélez Málaga. Born Marie Godebska, daughter of a Polish sculptor living in France, Misia was brought up in Brussels and Paris where she became a pupil of Gabriel Fauré and a noted concert pianist. In 1893 she married Thadée Natanson owner of ‘La Revue Blanche’ an important art magazine which featured the work of Bonnard, Vuillard, and Toulouse–Lautrec all of whom painted and drew the beautiful and talented Misia Natanson. Renoir painted her portrait while declaring his love for her, as did Edouard Vuillard and during the 1890’s the Natansons were at the centre of the Paris art world. In 1917 Misia met Coco Chanel and admired “her genius, lethal wit, sarcasm and maniacal destructiveness, which Misia portrayed on the cover of intrigued and appalled La revue blanche, by Toulouse- everyone”: these two Lautrec extraordinary women were inseparable in their later years. This is an extraordinary and fascinating story of a talented and beautiful woman who was muse and patron of the arts who has been described as ‘The Queen of Paris’. In 1895 Misia’s life changed when her husband lost his money which led to the breakdown of her marriage. She met and married a rich industrialist Alfred Edwards and Misia enjoyed her role as a wealthy patron of artists and musicians. Maurice Ravel dedicated ‘La Cygne’ and ‘La Valse’ to Misia who also accompanied Caruso on the piano. In 1909 the marriage ended when Edwards fell for the young actress Genevieve Lantelme. Misia soon met and married José-Maria Sert a highly successful Spanish painter of extravagant murals. Julian Halsby studied History of Art at Cambridge. Formerly Senior Lecturer and Head of Department at Croydon College of Art. Publications include Venice - the Artist's Vision (1990, 1995), The Art of Diana Armfield RA (1995), Dictionary of Scottish Painters (1990, 1998, 2001, 4th edition 2010), A Hand to Obey the Demon’s Eye (2000), Scottish Watercolours 1740 - 1940 (1986, 1991), A Private View - David Wolfers and the New Grafton Gallery (2002). Interviews artists for The Artist Magazine and is a member of the International Association of Art Critics and The Critics Circle. A practising artist, he was elected to the Royal Society of British Artists in 1994 and appointed Keeper in 2010. Julian talked to us in May 2015 about British and Amercian artists in Venice. The Seven Areas of Contemporary Art Photography Tuesday February 20, 2018 at 11am. Venue: The Nerja Caves Museum (Museo de Nerja) Plaza Espana, Nerja. Doors open at 10.30am (tickets only available at the door). A full illustrated lecture in English by Ludo Slabbaert. How can we better understand the contemporary art photography when looking at art photos in a gallery, at an art exhibition or in a catalogue? In this lecture Belgian amateur photographer Ludo Slabbaert will reveal an easy and practical way to interpret art photos by dividing them into seven different categories. These categories or areas - as he likes to call them - were chosen to avoid giving the impression that it is either style or the choice of the subject that determines the characteristics of current art photography. He will illustrate his system by lots of photos of well known art photographers. A member of The Arts Society Nerja, Ludo Slabbaert was born in 1950 and studied Photo-Art at the Royal Academy of Arts in his home-town Antwerp. He is a member of several photo- clubs even in Nerja and an official lecturer for the Flemish Amateur Photographers’ Society. He is a specialist in large format landscapes and in the reconstruction of old glass plate negatives. 2 2 2 2