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THE SPANISH GOLDEN AGE AND ITS LEGACY - Lecturer: Isabelle Kent
Wednesday, 11 March 2026 - 10.30am to 3.15pm
St Andrew’s Church Hall, Bedford
Come and join us for this very special event which includes 3 lectures and lunch
Isabelle will cover three of her fascinating lectures which will concentrate on the following aspects of this glorious era of Spanish art.
LECTURE 1: DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ: PAINTER AND COURTIER FOR PHILIP IV
LECTURE 2: MURILLO AND BAROQUE SEVILLE: THE CITY OF FAITH, ART AND EMPIRE
LECTURE 3: THE OBSESSION FOR SPANISH ART IN BRITAIN: ARTWORKS AND COLLECTIONS IN THIS COUNTRY
Isabelle Kentis an academic and educator specialising in the baroque, with a particular focus on Spain and its empire. She received a BA and MPhil in History of Art from Trinity College, Cambridge, where she is currently completing her PhD on the art of Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán. From 2017 to 2019 she worked as a curator at the Wallace Collection and in 2020 her book Collecting Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in Britain and Ireland was published by CEEH. She is also an expert guide leading groups around Spain and beyond.
Coffee at 10.15am for a prompt 10.30am start. Cost: £55 including 2 course hot lunch and tea/coffee
We do hope you will be able to join us for what promises to be an excellent SID. Book at our October and November lectures, and on application via email to our secretary.
Top Left: Diego Velázquez,The Waterseller, c. 1618. Apsley House, London/ Top Right: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Immaculate Conception, 1678. Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.
Above IMAGES: from wikicommons
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Following on from our January Zoom lecture with Simon Whitehouse who entertained us with his talk on Dick Whittington, we are delighted to have Simon guide us on a tour around the lesser-known parts of the Old City. Whether or not you attended the Zoom lecture, this is your chance to experience from Simon’s knowledge and storytelling, including tales of Dick and possibly his cat!
Simon Whitehouse has a background in professional theatre and has a gift for storytelling which entertains his audiences during lectures and London tours. Notably, he has worked as a guide lecturer in house at Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House, the BBC and the National Gallery guiding both public and private tours.
We will travel by train(travel details/train times to be confirmed nearer the time).
11.30am meet Simon at Farringdon station. The route is just under 2 miles and all pretty flat taking approximately 2 hours.
We will finish near St Paul's Cathedral at around 1.15pm to 1.30pm with plenty of options for lunch (not included) and close to City Thameslink Station.
Please Note: Although there will be a number of stops, we can’t guarantee availability of benches to sit on, so it is best to bring folding seats along if you think you will need them.
Cost of Walking Tour: £20 per person plus train fare (please buy your own ticket)
We do hope you will be able to join us for this interesting walk. Please book early as numbers are limited to 25 people. Book at our January lecture, and on application via email to Janet at northbedsdfas@gmail.com
Photo: The Guildhall