Elizabeth Perrotte
Modern Old Masters: The National Gallery London
Summary
The great cultural theorist Walter Benjamin claimed that works of art from the past need to live in the present or risk disappearing irretrievably. Elizabeth Perrotte explores one of the greatest museums in the world to test out the contemporary relevance of its “old master” collection. This talk will consider how artists have always creatively translated historical sources and how modern artists such as Van Gogh, Cezanne, Seurat, and Picasso, drew directly from the “old masters” to represent modernity.
Elizabeth Perrotte
An arts educationalist with specializations in Art History and Environmental Humanities, Lizzie has, for many years, developed creative learning experiences through programming, lecturing, writing, and curating. She has worked in museum contexts at The National Gallery London, Tate, and The Institute of Contemporary Arts London and as a Programme Director of Masters courses at Christie’s Education London. In 2022, Lizzie co-founded SolasArts, an arts/educational platform and creative network committed to environmental ethics; seeking expanded forms of aesthetic experience to help sustain living within our environmental predicament.