Lunchtime Lecture: Art & colonialism, from England's green & pleasant lands to Paradise Lost
The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed brought back images and people that fascinated Europeans. This lecture explores the art and lives impacted by the age of British colonisation. From Captain Cook to Dido Belle, we think about how colonial ideas like ‘the noble savage’, paradise and the myth of civilisation were reinforced in painted images.
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Britain in the seventeenth-century was beginning to forge an empire and increasingly saw itself a superior nation; publications from this period seem to suggest that was indeed so. This lecture charts the history of Britian’s journeys of discovery in the seventeenth-century through the art that was produced at the time. It looks at the contrast and juxtaposition of so-called ‘polite society’, or the Enlightenment, and nebulous ideas such as ‘the noble savage’ and paradise. It considers how these concepts manifested themselves in art and thus contributed to the myths that were invented by European countries regarding those who they considered uncivilised. Finally, this lecture will look at the legacy of these varied interactions and incursions of this tumultuous period in British history.
The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed by Captain James Cook and Louis Antoine de Bougainville brought back images and people from the far side of world that fascinated Europeans. This lecture will look at the wealth of painted images that astonished European audiences by artists such as, William Parry, William Hodges, David Martin, Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West, and many others. Individuals’ stories also became inextricably wrapped up in this period, such as Dido Belle and Mai. The artworks that their fame engendered will also be part of this lecture, which in turn will give us a fully rounded image of this period.
What will we cover?
• Paintings related to British colonialism in the 17th and 18th centuries • How colonial notions of non-Europeans shaped visual art • The lives of significant sitters of the period, Dido Belle and Mai.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Discuss the connection of colonial expansion and art • Discuss the colonial art of at least one of the artists discussed • Describe at least one enlightenment myth of civilisation and how it impacted an artwork discussed in this course.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels and requires no previous experience or study of the subject.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. This course takes place on Zoom. Please be familiar with or be willing to learn how to operate elements of Zoom, specifically camera, microphone and chat functions. For more on how our online learning works, pleaseclick here.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions.Please note: this is a live lecture course and will not be recorded for playback for reasons of copyright, digital infrastructure and data protection.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Search 'Lunchtime Lectures' or 'Friday Lates' for more of our short, taster art history courses.
Leslie Primo has spent more than 15 years giving lectures to the general public at the National Gallery for the Information and Education departments. During this time he graduated with a degree in History of Art and an MA in Renaissance Studies from Birkbeck, University College of London. In his studies he specialised in early Medieval and Renaissance studies, including, Italian Renaissance Drawing, Art and Architecture in Europe 1250-1400 Art and Architecture in Europe 1400-1500, Medici and Patronage, Narrative Painting in the Age of Giotto, and the work of Peter Paul Rubens focusing on his paintings of the Judgement of Paris, and Greek Myth in paintings. He is also an accredited Art Society lecturer.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/lunchtime-lecture-art-colonialism-from-england-s-green-pleasant-lands-to-paradise-lost3046339Lunchtime Lecture: Art & colonialism, from England's green & pleasant lands to Paradise Losthttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/l/u/lunchtime-lecture-art-colonialism-from-england-s-green-pleasant-lands-to-paradise-lost-vb172-1200_1.jpg1919GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Online courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Art, ideas & theory228511361177173118831228511771136<p>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed brought back images and people that fascinated Europeans. This lecture explores the art and lives impacted by the age of British colonisation. From Captain Cook to Dido Belle, we think about how colonial ideas like ‘the noble savage’, paradise and the myth of civilisation were reinforced in painted images.</p>003046303Lunchtime Lecture: Art & colonialism, from England's green & pleasant lands to Paradise Lost1919https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/l/u/lunchtime-lecture-art-colonialism-from-england-s-green-pleasant-lands-to-paradise-lost-vb172-1200_1_1.jpgInStockDaytimeWedOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-09-23T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allSep 2026Culture, history & humanitiesVB1721919Lunchtime Lecture: Art & colonialism, from England's green & pleasant lands to Paradise Lost191919Leslie Primolunchtime-lecture-art-colonialism-from-england-s-green-pleasant-lands-to-paradise-lost/vb172-2627<p>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed brought back images and people that fascinated Europeans. This lecture explores the art and lives impacted by the age of British colonisation. From Captain Cook to Dido Belle, we think about how colonial ideas like ‘the noble savage’, paradise and the myth of civilisation were reinforced in painted images.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-23 00:00:00Britain in the seventeenth-century was beginning to forge an empire and increasingly saw itself a superior nation; publications from this period seem to suggest that was indeed so. This lecture charts the history of Britian’s journeys of discovery in the seventeenth-century through the art that was produced at the time. It looks at the contrast and juxtaposition of so-called ‘polite society’, or the Enlightenment, and nebulous ideas such as ‘the noble savage’ and paradise. It considers how these concepts manifested themselves in art and thus contributed to the myths that were invented by European countries regarding those who they considered uncivilised. Finally, this lecture will look at the legacy of these varied interactions and incursions of this tumultuous period in British history.<br><br>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed by Captain James Cook and Louis Antoine de Bougainville brought back images and people from the far side of world that fascinated Europeans. This lecture will look at the wealth of painted images that astonished European audiences by artists such as, William Parry, William Hodges, David Martin, Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West, and many others. Individuals’ stories also became inextricably wrapped up in this period, such as Dido Belle and Mai. The artworks that their fame engendered will also be part of this lecture, which in turn will give us a fully rounded image of this period.<p>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed brought back images and people that fascinated Europeans. This lecture explores the art and lives impacted by the age of British colonisation. From Captain Cook to Dido Belle, we think about how colonial ideas like ‘the noble savage’, paradise and the myth of civilisation were reinforced in painted images.</p>• Paintings related to British colonialism in the 17th and 18th centuries<br>• How colonial notions of non-Europeans shaped visual art<br>• The lives of significant sitters of the period, Dido Belle and Mai.• Discuss the connection of colonial expansion and art<br>• Discuss the colonial art of at least one of the artists discussed<br>• Describe at least one enlightenment myth of civilisation and how it impacted an artwork discussed in this course.<p>This course is suitable for all levels and requires no previous experience or study of the subject.</p><p><br>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. This course takes place on Zoom. Please be familiar with or be willing to learn how to operate elements of Zoom, specifically camera, microphone and chat functions. For more on how our online learning works, please<a href="https://help.citylit.ac.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/11273523970845-What-is-your-City-Lit-student-IT-account" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>.</p><p>You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions.<strong>Please note</strong>: this is a live lecture course and will not be recorded for playback for reasons of copyright, digital infrastructure and data protection.</p>You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.<p>Search 'Lunchtime Lectures' or 'Friday Lates' for more of our short, taster art history courses.</p>Art historyArt, ideas & theoryvirtual191919VB172NONEWed23/09/2613:00 - 14:0013:0014:001 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekdayOnlineOnlineLeslie PrimoBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-09-23T00:00:00+00:00Sep 2026Culture, history & humanities1919Lunchtime Lecture: Art & colonialism, from England's green & pleasant lands to Paradise Lostlunchtime-lecture-art-colonialism-from-england-s-green-pleasant-lands-to-paradise-lost/vb172-2627<p>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed brought back images and people that fascinated Europeans. This lecture explores the art and lives impacted by the age of British colonisation. From Captain Cook to Dido Belle, we think about how colonial ideas like ‘the noble savage’, paradise and the myth of civilisation were reinforced in painted images.</p>0000-Available|2026-09-23 00:00:00Britain in the seventeenth-century was beginning to forge an empire and increasingly saw itself a superior nation; publications from this period seem to suggest that was indeed so. This lecture charts the history of Britian’s journeys of discovery in the seventeenth-century through the art that was produced at the time. It looks at the contrast and juxtaposition of so-called ‘polite society’, or the Enlightenment, and nebulous ideas such as ‘the noble savage’ and paradise. It considers how these concepts manifested themselves in art and thus contributed to the myths that were invented by European countries regarding those who they considered uncivilised. Finally, this lecture will look at the legacy of these varied interactions and incursions of this tumultuous period in British history.<br><br>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed by Captain James Cook and Louis Antoine de Bougainville brought back images and people from the far side of world that fascinated Europeans. This lecture will look at the wealth of painted images that astonished European audiences by artists such as, William Parry, William Hodges, David Martin, Joshua Reynolds, Benjamin West, and many others. Individuals’ stories also became inextricably wrapped up in this period, such as Dido Belle and Mai. The artworks that their fame engendered will also be part of this lecture, which in turn will give us a fully rounded image of this period.<p>The voyages of William Wallis and those that followed brought back images and people that fascinated Europeans. This lecture explores the art and lives impacted by the age of British colonisation. From Captain Cook to Dido Belle, we think about how colonial ideas like ‘the noble savage’, paradise and the myth of civilisation were reinforced in painted images.</p>• Paintings related to British colonialism in the 17th and 18th centuries<br>• How colonial notions of non-Europeans shaped visual art<br>• The lives of significant sitters of the period, Dido Belle and Mai.• Discuss the connection of colonial expansion and art<br>• Discuss the colonial art of at least one of the artists discussed<br>• Describe at least one enlightenment myth of civilisation and how it impacted an artwork discussed in this course.<p>This course is suitable for all levels and requires no previous experience or study of the subject.</p><p><br>You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. This course takes place on Zoom. Please be familiar with or be willing to learn how to operate elements of Zoom, specifically camera, microphone and chat functions. For more on how our online learning works, please<a href="https://help.citylit.ac.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/11273523970845-What-is-your-City-Lit-student-IT-account" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">click here</a>.</p><p>You will be taught online with slide presentations and group discussions.<strong>Please note</strong>: this is a live lecture course and will not be recorded for playback for reasons of copyright, digital infrastructure and data protection.</p>You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.<p>Search 'Lunchtime Lectures' or 'Friday Lates' for more of our short, taster art history courses.</p>Art historyArt, ideas & theoryconfigurable
18831136Art, ideas & theoryhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/art-history/art-ideas-theory1/2/285/1177/1136/18831/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Art history/Art, ideas & theory
