It goes without saying that colour is an essential element of art.  Used throughout history, artists use colour to describe a subject, to create mood, and to convey meaning through cultural connections and resonances.  Following on from the recent success of the Colour in Art series, Martin will be taking a deeper look at Black.  
 

Scientifically black is the absence of light and is not a colour, however artists have used black creatively throughout the centuries. Most French Impressionists avoided using black in their paintings, nonetheless Édouard Manet championed its use in many of his best known works.
 

The use of black in the twentieth century is common among some of its best known artists. Francisco José de Goya made a series of 'black' paintings late in his life, these works are some of the greatest of the Romanic period . The fascination of using black or near black to create dramatic contrasts fascinates artists who explore tone and light. This talk will look at the pigments and history and meaning ascribed to black in visual art.
 

Martin will provide a list of helpful books and links to further explore on a PDF following each of the talks via the class information page.