Arts Society SW London to Host Study Day
Stella Grace Lyons giving three lectures on the nude in art history
Detail from Olympia by Edouard Manet (courtesy of the lecturer)
November 14, 2025
The Arts Society South West London is to present a thought-provoking study day, exploring the complex and often controversial history of the nude in Western art.
The event on Monday 24 November at Putney Arts Theatre, titled “Stripped Naked – The Nude in Art History”, will run from 10:30am to 2:45pm and feature three lectures by art historian and speaker Stella Grace Lyons.
Doors will open at 10:00am, with the first lecture beginning at 10:30am. The programme includes breaks for refreshments and lunch, which attendees are encouraged to bring. Tickets are priced at £38 plus a 50p booking fee and are available via The Arts Society SW London’s TicketSource page.
Lyons’ lectures will examine how representations of the nude have evolved across centuries, reflecting shifting social attitudes and raising questions about censorship, gender roles and the politics of the human body. The sessions—titled “Introducing the Nude,”“The Shock of the Nude,” and “The Censored Nude”—will consider whether the female nude is always an object of desire, whether male nudes are inherently symbols of power, and how artists have challenged these conventions.
Stella Grace Lyons holds both a BA and MA in History of Art and has studied Renaissance and Venetian art in Florence and Venice. She is accredited by The Arts Society and has taught widely across the UK and internationally. Her lectures combine scholarly insight with accessible storytelling, making her a popular speaker on topics ranging from classical portraiture to modern visual culture.
Programme
10:30 to 11:30: Lecture 1: ‘Introducing the Nude'
BREAK - for tea/coffee & biscuits
12:00 to 13:00: Lecture 2: ‘The Shock of the Nude'
LUNCH – please bring your own
13:45 to 14:45: Lecture 3: 'The Censored Nude'
The study day is part of The Arts Society South West London’s ongoing programme of cultural events aimed at deepening public understanding of art, history and heritage. The Society, a registered charity, regularly hosts lectures, study days and visits for members and guests.
Later in the season, the Society will welcome historian Peter Ross for a festive lecture titled “Cinders in the Dripping Pan: Cooking in the Georgian Kitchen” on Monday 8 December at 8pm. That evening event will take place at The Community Church on Werter Road, Putney, and is free for members, with a £10 fee for non-members (£5 to watch online). He will explore the challenges of Georgian cookery through prints, paintings and surviving kitchen equipment, offering a vivid glimpse into the domestic life of the 18th century.
The events part of The Arts Society South West London’s ongoing programme of cultural events aimed at deepening public understanding of art, history and heritage.
If you have never attended an Arts Society lecture before you are urged to join and find out about your local Arts Society.
Visit the society’s website for further details.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |