Jan van Eyck, Portrait of a Man (Self Portrait?), 1433, oil on oak, National Gallery, London, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/jan-van-eyck-portrait-of-a-man-self-portrait
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we will be rescheduling the second Linda Blair lecture to Thursday, February 29, at 7:30 p.m., and the third lecture to Thursday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. Please let us know if you have any questions. We appreciate your patronage.
Thursday, March 7, 2024
7:30 PM
“Art is a mirror held up to the society which birthed it, a whisper from long ago history. It is a code message sent to a timeless future: this is who we were; what we believed; what we valued.”
Van Eyck’s art must be viewed on two antithetical levels. While his work is optically rich and highly materialistic, down to single gold threads in a sumptuous tapestry, it is also profoundly spiritual, injected as it is with religious symbols. In addition to transforming the medium used in painting, van Eyck also transformed portraiture, as visible in the Arnolfini Portrait and Portrait of a Man. The lecture ends with painted images of van Eyck’s hometown of Bruges—that sweet Medieval time capsule—and with a coda: the mystery of the 1930s theft of one of the master’s greatest works.
About Linda Blair:
Linda Blair has taught art history for many years, at the La Jolla Athenaeum and UC San Diego Osher; she was a docent at The Cloisters. She holds a BA from Mills College and an MA from USD. She is an active volunteer at UC San Diego, dedicated to raising scholarship funds.
Tickets: $16/21
The lecture will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for this event. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. This event will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of the lecture.
Masks optional. If you have a fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms, please stay home.