The Invention of British Art - A Talk by Bendor Grosvenor

Britain has produced some of the world’s most famous artists and paintings. But what made British art ‘great’? Was it the individual genius of artists like Hogarth and Constable? Or were their careers shaped by a distinctly ‘British’ society, culture and history? And if so, why has that distinctiveness been overlooked, and why have we ignored so many of the characters who helped create the story of British art?

In The Invention of British Art, Bendor Grosvenor embarks on a journey of discovery through an incredible array of artworks and artists from 10,000 BCE to the nineteenth century, revealing how the art from these isles was created, what made it distinctive, and why it took so long to emerge. From folk art to the role of female artists, from the influences of invaders to the colonised territories of the British Empire, the book embraces previously overlooked contributions to the story of British art and explores the cultural, political and economic factors that helped to shape it.

Dr Bendor Grosvenor is an art historian, broadcaster and writer. He is best known for finding and researching previously lost Old Master paintings, including works by Botticelli, Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian, Ramsay, Lawrence and Reynolds. He has presented BBC programmes including 'Fake or Fortune?', 'Britain's Lost Masterpieces', and 'The Culture Show'.

Doors will open at 6.30pm and this event will be in-person only and won't be streamed or recordered. Copies of The Invention of British Art will be available to purchase on the evening.

Host or Publisher Southwark Cathedral