Please join us for this first part of a two part lecture, followed up by a visit to the National Gallery. Come to all three or as many as you can.

Bellini taught Titian. Titian taught Tintoretto. Veronese taught his sons: these are the bare facts of the Master and Apprentice system amongst the painters of Venice. But what exactly did they teach? How did the pupils learn? How today can we unpick the fascinating complexities of the workshop relationships, to discover the masters who were generous, those who were prepared to learn new material from the pupil, or the master who quarrelled with his pupils and neglected their learning?

Master and Pupil, mentor and friend, or employer and employee – the relationship between the older and younger artists at any period is fascinating. These two lectures will examine the family workshop arrangements in Venice, such as Bellini with his brother and brother- in-law Mantegna, or Tintoretto employing his daughter Marietta along with his sons. The sprawling career of Titian, with his protegee Veronese, and the unexpected career paths of Crivelli and Sebastiano del Piombo, all help build a picture of the workshop system in Venice, over the 15^th and 16^th centuries. And, of course, Chantal Brotherton-Radciffe, one of our favorite lecturers, will be showing images of breathtaking beauty from this, the most famous art centre in the world.

Please come at 9:30 for coffee/tea the lecture begins at 10 with a short break for more coffee/tea around 11.  We aim to finished around 12:15.

November 5^th, November 12^th, followed by visit to the National Gallery to see examples of these painters’ works, November 19^th.