Saturday 18 June 2005, 14.00–17.00

Artists have long aspired to the accurate depiction of the models that nature and contemporary life offer them. Nevertheless, the understanding of what constitutes ‘realism’ has changed profoundly with each century. As the nineteenth century progressed, the artificiality of Classicism and Romanticism was rejected, and ordinary people and everyday activities became worthy subjects. In this way the unexceptional, the humble and the unadorned have become subjects of art as have the attitudes, physical settings and material conditions of life and society. This study day combines teaching and discussion to review the origins, history and contemporary relevance of realist ambitions, through the work of both historic and contemporary artists who explore various social and political contexts.

Tate Britain  Manton Studio
£15 (£12 concessions), booking required
Price includes refreshments

    

This event is related to the A Picture of Britain exhibition