Copyright Christina Holmes
Michael Simon
“Lesson in the French Decorative Arts– Michael Simon Sheds Light on Designs Produced Centuries Apart that Share Inspiration and Excellence”
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. The Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium $25
Michael Simon is an interior designer celebrated for his knowledge of French architecture and decorative arts. In his estimation of French design,18th century classicism and 20th century Art Deco are two exemplary periods reveling in imagination and quality of craftsmanship that share a dedication to standards yet to be surpassed. In this richly illustrated lecture, he will compare the two periods, explaining the creation of a new design vocabulary in the 18th century and its distillation by designers and artisans of the Art Deco period in the 1920s and 30s. Simon will survey interiors and the savoir-faire lavished on paneling, furniture, carpets, textiles and other components of decoration produced centuries apart. He promises to dazzle us with such creations as the “Salle de Bains Royale,” the king’s private bathroom at Versailles, and ArmandAlbert Rateau’s bath of 1920-22 for Jeanne Lanvin. Mr. Simon will give us a glimpse of the extraordinary work of such 18th century cabinet-makers as Cressent, Riesner and Molitor, and their 20th century counterparts, Arbus, Dunand and Ruhlmann, highlighting the similarities in design and technique. He will also compare the works of great 18th century interior decorators and 20th century masters.
John Stainton
“The Glory of Gainsborough: Thomas Gainsborough and the Golden Age of British Portraiture” with John Stainton Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. The Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium $25 Hosted in partnership with Christie’s
John Stainton has specialized in British paintings for 20 years, and is an international director in Christie’s Old Master & British Paintings department. Mr. Stainton joined the company in 1990 after completing a two-year diploma at Christie’s Education. He became a member of the British Paintings department in 1992, and in 1994 was appointed Head of Department, British Paintings 1500-1850. Throughout his two-decade involvement in the field, he has overseen many landmark sales, establishing and often re-breaking world record prices for many of the key British artists of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries including Sir Peter Lely, Richard Wilson, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Thomas Lawrence, David Wilkie, J.M.W. Turner, and Sir Edwin Landseer, as well as negotiating major private and institutional sales.
Jennifer Homans
“Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet” by Jennifer Homans
Monday, January 28, 2013 at 2:30 p.m. The Walter S. Gubelmann Auditorium $25 Hosted in partnership with Classical South Florida.
Jennifer Homans – historian, dance critic and author of the national bestseller “Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet” – shares this richly drawn story of the evolution of ballet from its origins to the present. Drawing on extensive archival research and interviews conducted in Paris, Copenhagen, London, New York, St. Petersburg and Moscow, Ms. Homans’ book shows that ballet was not only artistic, but political: bound up with the fate of kings, courts and states. The “steps” were never just steps; they were a set of ideas and beliefs born of an aristocratic etiquette and reflecting the self-image of a noble caste. Ms. Homans is a former professional dancer trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the School of American Ballet.
Reservations: (561) 805-8562, campus@fourarts.org, or www.fourarts.org 27