Connoisseurship: who painted what, when and how to tell
Weekend art business course
1 July 2023 10am - 5pm2 July 2023 10am - 5pm
The Benjamin West Lecture Theatre | Burlington Gardens
£480. Includes light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Friends of the RA book first
Join art historian and dealer Dr Bendor Grosvenor for a weekend course on connoisseurship – the art of authenticating and dating paintings.
Please note: this is an in-person event only
Connoisseurship – the ability to tell which artist painted a painting, when they painted it, and how – is a crucial skill in the art trade, one that can make or break reputations and fortunes. In this intensive weekend course, Dr Bendor Grosvenor explores the connoisseurial process with a focus on Old Master paintings. Participants are introduced to the history and evolution of connoisseurship, the latest scientific techniques as well as current best practice.
Through hands-on experience, access to great masterpieces and site visits around London, course participants learn how to assess the quality and status of a painting: is it an original, a copy, or even an outright fake? Learn how to assess a painting’s condition and the extent to which later interventions can either hide a painting’s true quality or flatter it.
Above all, the course encourages confidence, knowledge and curiosity when looking at artwork and paintings. While connoisseurship is something that takes time to perfect, the basic elements are easy and enjoyable to learn.
Dr Bendor Grosvenor is an art historian and dealer, best known for discovering a number of lost works of art by artists such as Van Dyck, Rubens and Gainsborough. He worked for ten years in the London art trade, but is now based in Scotland, where he focuses on writing and broadcasting. He presents the BBC4 series, Britain’s Lost Masterpieces, did specialist research for and appeared in BBC 1’s Fake or Fortune?, and writes regularly for publications such as the Financial Times and The Art Newspaper. He has for many years been a passionate advocate of both Old Masters and connoisseurship.
Minimum age 18. Please note this course will include some site visits, and as such some walking. If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to discuss any accessibility needs, please contact Public.Programmes@royalacademy.org.uk.
£480. Includes light refreshments and a wine reception at the end of day one.
Friends of the RA book first
About the guest speakers
Simon Gillespie has been restoring since 1978. He was inspired by a visit to a restorer’s studio when he was living in Mexico City where he witnessed what he thought were rather flippant methods being used and decided to come back to London and learn. Simon took two apprenticeships, studied chemistry and attended art history lectures for everything that was pertinent to the various projects that he was involved in. This has built up a huge bank of knowledge and experience. Simon started the business in 1982.
Dr Luke Uglow is a Lecturer in Art History at the University of Manchester, and has previously taught at the universities of York, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. His research is focused on Italian Renaissance Art, particularly early sixteenth-century Venetian painting. Luke became interested in connoisseurship while researching his PhD on Giorgione; he has written on the work of nineteenth-century connoisseurs Giovanni Morelli, Giovanni Battista Cavalcaselle and Joseph Archer Crowe, and also compiled a history of the twentieth-century arts magazine The Connoisseur (1901-1992).
Give this course as a gift
All of our courses can be purchased as a gift for a friend or family member – giving the gift of education and a remarkable experience. To arrange a personalised Gift Voucher, please contact the Academic Programmes Team, by emailing academic.programmes@royalacademy.org.uk
Our courses and classes programme
Our varied programme of short courses and classes provides an opportunity to explore subjects ranging from life drawing to the history of exhibitions and arts management, led by expert tutors and practising artists. These courses introduce traditional art-making processes, as well as perspectives on art history, theory and business.
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