TALK: The Context of Bloomsbury in Wiltshire by Frances Spalding

7.30pm

While Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell and the Bloomsbury set are best known for their unconventional creative lives in London and Sussex, few realise the group had deep and significant connections to Wiltshire. In this talk, art historian and biographer Frances Spalding explores the Bloomsbury Group’s Wiltshire story – revealing a lesser-known dimension of one of the twentieth century’s most influential artistic circles.

This talk complements our current summer exhibition, Bloomsbury in Wiltshire, which showcases the artists, relationships and creative work that emerged from the group’s time in our county.

Frances Spalding is a leading authority on modern British art and author of the centenary history of the Tate. Her biographies include studies of artists Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Gwen Raverat and John Minton, as well as poet and novelist Stevie Smith. She guest-curated the acclaimed Virginia Woolf: Art, Life and Vision exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in 2014 and wrote the accompanying book. She was Professor of Art History at Newcastle University for 15 years before becoming Editor of the Burlington Magazine.

The event has been kindly sponsored by Kirker Holidays who will be holding a drinks reception for all ticket holders from 6:45 pm at the museum.

Image: David Garnett at Tidmarsh, by Dora Carrington, 1919. Oil on canvas, private collection.

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