'The Spirit of the Way: The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela' |
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Hilary Guise to give The Arts Society Chiswick's July Lecture
June 29, 2023 The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela also known as the Camino de Santiago, is something many have or want to travel. Walking in the footsteps of countless saints and sinners, on a path set down twelve hundred years ago when the bones of St. James the Great, held by some traditions to be Jesus’ brother, were ‘found’ in North West Spain in 830AD. Art Historian Hilary Guise, lectures widely around the English speaking world. The talk will help you understand why so many people today follow in the footsteps of the Pilgrims who flowed down from every corner of Europe, blocking the advance of Islam, while they sought the salvation of their souls at the end of the known world, Finisterre. Hilary Guise is a South African born British Art and Art Historian who lectures in Art History for Florida State University. She has taught courses for other universities in North Carolina, Montana, and Aix-en-Provence, and for Cambridge. She is also a Classicist specializing in Archaic and Early Classical Greek iconography, and was an invited Guest Speaker in Classics at the International MENSA conference also held in Cambridge. She has toured widely in the USA as Evelyn Wrench Speaker for the English-Speaking Union of America, twice, and has also given courses for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. As a speaker for The Arts Societies, she travels around the UK and Europe, and on the Australia New Zealand circuit, returning regularly to lecture at UCT in her home city of Cape Town (conveniently in January!). She combines a passionate love of Classical Greek culture, and its place in the history of art - with a life-long career in the visual arts as a practising artist for which was initially trained at Central St Martin’s in London. The Spirit of the Way: The Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, also known as The Camino de Santiago is a path set down twelve hundred years ago. The Knights Templar built fabulous castles and round churches along the way to defend the pilgrims. Franciscan monasteries, convents, cathedrals, and small churches funded by New World gold line the Way but the peregrinos are more interested in their feet as they make their way, day by day, sometimes painfully, to Santiago de Compostela. The lecture begins at 8:00pm on Thursday, 13 July at POSK on King Street in Hammersmith. Doors open at 7pm, as does the private bar and guests are very welcome for a payment of £10 on the door. Olivia Freeman, Chair, The Arts Society Chiswick said, “This month we have a truly fascinating lecture which will appeal to all those captivated by the Camino de Santiago. We look forward to welcoming both members and guests,“ Membership of the Arts Society Chiswick includes 10 expert lectures on the second Thursday of every month (except August and December) and the opportunity to participate in tours, visits, social events and Special Interest Days. For more information see the society's web site. The Arts Society Chiswick brings people together through a shared curiosity for the arts, to create opportunities for everyone to be part of a diverse community in which they can enjoy, learn about, participate in, and preserve the Arts and Cultural Heritage.
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