This week, it was back to school but with a difference.
The classroom was the private dining room at Koffmann's at The
Berkeley Hotel, school slops lunch was replaced by Pierre
Koffmann's signature Gascon cooking and the class was taught by art
history super lecturer Linda Smith (who lectures at both Tate
Britain and Tate Modern).
I was dipping my toe into London Art Studies; intimate,
sophisticated and fun one-day art history courses, the brainchild
of Kate Gordon (ex-Sotheby's and CNN). Using her well-stuffed
address book, Gordon has plucked some of London's best lecturers
specializing in a broad range of periods and popped-up a class that
runs throughout the year. Apart from learning, eating and nattering
- the other joy about London Art Studies is that there's no
commitment. Go to just one class a year - or three a week if you
fancy.
I can highly recommend the lecture day I attended, called 'Great
Tarts in Art; High Culture and the Oldest Profession.' It was fun
and fascinating learning about history's bad girls (Harriette
Wilson, Annie Miller, Lillie Langtry amongst others) and how
'clothing them in art' made, basically pornographic images
acceptable.
"Learn. Art. Lunch." is Kate Gordon's motto. I'd like to add to
that - school is wasted on the young.
www.londonartstudies.com
London Art Studies offered all Vanity Fair A-List
members the chance to win a pair of tickets to a London Art Studies
course of the winner's choice including lunch at Koffman's (worth
£350). Don't miss out on future offers, sign up to the
A-List.