The Arts Society Experience: Connection, Culture and Community

Our members, lecturers and volunteers share their “elevator pitch” in their own words. From inspiring lectures and lifelong learning to new friendships, giving back, and supporting the arts, alongside  heritage conservation and education, discover what makes The Arts Society such an enriching community.

The Paintings That Watch You Back: Looking Inside The Arnolfini Portrait & Las Meninas 

Discover two of the most famous paintings in art history: Jan van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait (1434) and Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas (1656). Both masterpieces use mirrors, illusion, and perspective to change how we see art... and how art sees us.

Learn how Van Eyck and Velázquez expanded the very idea of painting, from representation to reflection on identity, time, and meaning. These works challenge us to ask: are we outside the painting, or inside it?

This video explores:  The Arnolfini Portrait (Jan van Eyck, 1434) also known as the Arnolfini Wedding or Arnolfini Marriage and  Las Meninas (Diego Velázquez, 1656) sometimes called “The Maids of Honour.”

The Art That Wouldn’t Die: The Nightwatch’s Survival Story

Rembrandt van Rijn’s The Night Watch (1642) is one of the most famous paintings in the world, but much of what people think they know about it is wrong.

Often called The Nightwatch, Night Watch, or even De Nachtwacht (in Dutch), this chaotic masterpiece was originally titled The Company of Captain Frans Banninck Cocq and Lieutenant Willem van Ruytenburch. Far from a simple group portrait, Rembrandt used dramatic lighting (tenebrism), diagonal movement, and hidden symbolism to transform the way we look at art.

Love, Death, and Basil: Millais’ Isabella & Holman Hunt’s Isabella and the Pot of Basil 

These two iconic Pre-Raphaelite paintings were inspired by the tragic story of Isabella from Boccaccio’s Decameron. Both artists, founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, approached the subject with unique styles, symbolism, and emotional depth. 

Secrets of the Sistine Chapel: What You Missed in The Last Judgement 

Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement (1536–1541) dominates the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. This monumental fresco, with over 300 figures, shows the second coming of Christ and the final judgement of souls. But Michelangelo’s vision, filled with muscular movement, mythological references, and raw human emotion, divided opinion from the start.