Frida: The Making of an Icon – Exhibition Introduction is a live online lecture presented by Art History in Focus, offering an insightful preview of Tate Modern’s landmark exhibition dedicated to the life, work, and global legacy of Frida Kahlo.

Few artists have captured the public imagination as powerfully as Frida Kahlo. Born in Mexico City in the years following the Mexican Revolution, Kahlo developed a deeply personal artistic language rooted in Mexican culture, indigenous traditions, political engagement, and lived experience. Her extraordinary self-portraits remain among the most recognisable images in modern art, exploring themes of identity, resilience, family, physical suffering, and self-expression.

Led by renowned art historian Siân Walters, this lecture examines the key themes and highlights of Tate Modern’s exhibition before it opens to the public. Featuring more than thirty paintings by Kahlo, including rarely seen self-portraits, the exhibition traces her transformation from a relatively little-known artist into a global cultural icon. Alongside her artworks, visitors will encounter photographs, personal artefacts, and works by artists inspired by her enduring influence.

The session will explore Kahlo’s carefully constructed public identity, her relationship with Surrealism, her role within Mexican and feminist cultural movements, and the continuing reinterpretation of her legacy by contemporary artists. It also considers the remarkable evolution of her image into a worldwide cultural phenomenon and the complex questions surrounding its commercialisation.

The lecture lasts approximately one hour and includes a live question-and-answer session. A recording will be available for registered participants who are unable to attend live, allowing access for a limited period following the event.

Event Details

Hosted by: Art History in Focus
Lecturer: Siân Walters
Date & Time: Wednesday, 24 June 2026, 6:00 PM (BST)
Format: Live Online Lecture

How to Attend

Register via the official event page:

Art History in Focus Event Registration

• Click “Book This Course/Event” and complete the online registration form.
• A Zoom registration link will be sent by email prior to the lecture.
• Participation fee: £10 per person.
• Bookings close the day before the event.

More Information

For more information about the organisations involved, please visit:

• Artemisia Gold
• Art History in Focus

Image: Frida Kahlo, Untitled (Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird), 1940. Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art.

Leonardo 4 Children Summer School 2026 is an immersive educational programme designed to inspire creativity, curiosity, and collaboration through the themes of climate, equality, and peace. Taking place between Florence and Vinci from 29 June to 2 July 2026, the programme brings together cultural institutions, educators, artists, and researchers to offer a unique interdisciplinary learning experience for young participants.

The Summer School welcomes children aged 6–12 and young people aged 13–18, offering a rich programme of workshops, museum visits, and hands-on activities inspired by the worlds of art, science, music, design, theatre, and innovation.

Participants will begin their journey at the Museo Leonardiano in Vinci, exploring the life, inventions, and enduring legacy of Leonardo da Vinci through guided visits and educational activities. The programme then continues in Florence at the Fondazione Zeffirelli, where students will engage in workshops inspired by the artistic vision of Franco Zeffirelli, including cinema, opera, theatre, music, visual arts, restoration, design, and applied arts.

The Summer School is organised by Leonardo 4 Children and Fondazione Carano 4 Children in collaboration with the Museo Leonardiano di Vinci and Fondazione Zeffirelli. Among the contributors are educators from the Museo Leonardiano, Fondazione Zeffirelli, Erika Zoi, Gisella Cosi, Marina Calamai, and Jane Adams.

Through creativity, cultural exchange, and hands-on learning, Leonardo 4 Children Summer School encourages participants to develop new skills, explore their artistic potential, and engage with the values of inclusion, sustainability, and peace.

Event Details

Dates: 29 June – 2 July 2026
Locations: Florence & Vinci, Tuscany, Italy
Age Groups:
• Children aged 6–12 (maximum 20 participants)
• Young people aged 13–18 (maximum 25 participants)

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Registration Deadline: 31 May 2026

More Information

For more information about the programme and participating organisations, please visit:

• Carano4Children
• Fondazione Zeffirelli
• Museo Leonardiano di Vinci

For enquiries: info@carano4children.org

Presented by Artemisia Gold in collaboration with Art History in Focus and WAAW World, this special guided tour explores the stories of women artists and female patrons represented within the National Gallery’s collection.

Led by distinguished art historian and lecturer Siân Walters, participants will discover works by artists including Artemisia Gentileschi and Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, alongside paintings commissioned by influential women whose contributions helped shape the artistic landscape of their time.

Drawing upon decades of research and teaching experience, Siân Walters will provide insight into the historical context, artistic significance, and enduring relevance of these works, while highlighting the broader challenges of visibility and recognition faced by women artists throughout history.

Joining the tour will be Jane Adams, President and CEO of Artemisia Gold, the international charity dedicated to the rediscovery, restoration, research, and exhibition of artworks by historically overlooked women artists.

This intimate 90-minute experience offers a unique opportunity to engage with art history through a fresh perspective while learning about the ongoing efforts to restore women artists to their rightful place within the cultural canon.

Date & Time: Tuesday, 9 June 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM (BST)
Location: The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN
Meeting Point: Lobby of the Sainsbury Wing Entrance at 11:00 AM

Presented by: Artemisia Gold, Art History in Focus & WAAW World.

For more information about the organisations involved, please visit:

• WAAW World
• Artemisia Gold
• Art History in Focus

Hosted by: Art History in Focus
Lecturer: Prof. Katlijne Van der Stighelen
Date & Time: Thursday, 28 May, 6:00 PM (BST)
Format: Live Online Lecture

Michaelina Wautier at the Royal Academy is a live online lecture presented by Art History in Focus, offering an exclusive introduction to the Royal Academy’s major exhibition dedicated to this rediscovered 17th-century master.

Active in Brussels during the Baroque period, Michaelina Wautier is now recognised as one of the leading artists of her time, despite centuries in which her works were misattributed or overlooked. Her rediscovery is largely due to the pioneering research of Professor Katlijne Van der Stighelen, who first identified her authorship and has since dedicated decades to reconstructing her legacy.

This lecture provides unique insight into Wautier’s artistic range — from portraits and still lifes to ambitious history paintings — and introduces key works featured in the Royal Academy exhibition (27 March – 21 June 2026).

The session will also explore the story behind her monumental Triumph of Bacchus, a work that challenged long-held assumptions about the scope and ambition of women artists in the 17th century.

The lecture lasts approximately one hour, including a live Q&A, and a recording will be available for a limited time following the event for registered participants.

How to Attend

• Register via the official event page:
  https://arthistoryinfocus.com/product/michaelina-wautier-at-the-royal-academy/
• Click “Book This Course/Event” and complete the online form
• A Zoom access link will be sent via email prior to the lecture
• Participation fee: £10 per person

Hosted by: Art with Tosca
Date & Time: March 31, 2026
Format: Online Lecture
Sign Up: Eventbrite

Her Art, Part 4: From Muse to Maker: Women Artists Reclaim Modernism continues the lecture series dedicated to rediscovering women artists whose contributions have long been overlooked.

Hosted by Art with Tosca, this session examines a pivotal moment in early 20th-century art, when women began to move beyond their traditional roles as subjects and muses to become recognised as creators and innovators in their own right.

The lecture explores how these artists challenged dominant narratives, asserted authorship over their work, and played an active role in shaping modernism. By reframing the historical lens, the session highlights the intellectual and creative agency of women artists who helped redefine artistic production during this transformative period.

Through this exploration, the lecture contributes to a broader re-evaluation of art history, expanding the canon to include voices and practices that have too often been excluded.

Hosted by: Art with Tosca
Date & Time: March 24, 2026
Format: Online Lecture
Sign up: Eventbrite — Art with Tosca

Her Art, Part 3: Breaking Boundaries at the Dawn of Modernism (1900–1930) is part of an ongoing lecture series dedicated to rediscovering women artists who have been historically overlooked.

Hosted by Art with Tosca, this session focuses on a transformative period in art history, when modernism began to take shape and artists challenged long-established academic traditions. The lecture examines how women artists actively participated in — and contributed to — this shift, despite institutional barriers that often excluded them from formal recognition.

Spanning the early 20th century, the talk highlights key figures who pushed artistic and social boundaries, redefining genres, experimenting with new forms of expression, and asserting their place within the evolving modern art movement.

Through a broader cultural and historical lens, the lecture offers insight into how these artists not only responded to modernity but helped shape it — laying the groundwork for future generations and expanding the canon of art history.

Before women had access to formal academies and artistic training, they found ways to defy expectations and make their mark. Presented in celebration of Women’s History Month, ‘Her Art: The Legacy of Women Artists Through the Ages’ explores the powerful and often overlooked contributions of women to the history of art.

For centuries, women artists have created powerful, innovative works while navigating social, institutional, and cultural barriers that limited their visibility and recognition. Despite these constraints, they forged artistic careers, shaped major movements, and left a lasting impact on the history of art.

This four-part lecture series traces the evolving role of women artists from the early modern period to the mid-20th century. Each session focuses on a pivotal moment in art history, highlighting women from different countries and artistic traditions while examining both their creative achievements and the obstacles they faced.

From early pioneers working within courtly, familial, and religious contexts to modern artists who reclaimed authorship and artistic authority, Her Art offers a richly contextualized reassessment of women’s contributions to the visual arts.

Join Tosca Ruggieri in rediscovering these artists and the worlds in which they lived and worked—placing them back at the center of the story of art.

📅 March 3

Session summary

This lecture explores the pioneering women artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods—painters, sculptors, and artisans who navigated courtly patronage, convent workshops, and family studios to establish their careers. From Sofonisba Anguissola’s refined portraits to Artemisia Gentileschi’s dramatic Baroque canvases, we’ll examine how these artists overcame social restrictions to gain recognition in a male-dominated field.

Some of the artists featured include:

Sofonisba Anguissola · Artemisia Gentileschi · Lavinia Fontana · Properzia de’ Rossi · Judith Leyster

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On March 11 at 6 pm (CET), the Dutch Institute for Art History (NIKI) in Florence invites you to a hybrid lecture — available both in person and online — on Plautilla Nelli’s “Holy Conversations”. Hosted by Jane Adams and Dr. Catherine Turrill-Lupi, this talk delves into the life and art of Plautilla Nelli, the pioneering 16th-century Florentine painter and nun renowned for her devotional works. The session focuses on a group of small panel paintings — traditionally called sacra conversazione — now attributed to Nelli and sheds light on her prolific workshop at the Dominican convent of Santa Caterina da Siena. Attendees will gain insight into how these intimate religious compositions reveal the artistic practices and collaborative production of one of the Renaissance’s most compelling female artists.

For more information about the event, please visit: www.niki-florence.org

Following a weekend of International Women’s Day celebrations, Art History in Focus presents a lecture dedicated to the extraordinary life and work of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the most celebrated female painters in the history of art.

A follower of Caravaggio, whose work she encountered through his friendship with her father, Orazio Gentileschi, Artemisia rose to become one of the most sought-after painters of her time. She was the first woman admitted to the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in Florence and achieved success in Rome, Venice, Naples and London, where she worked alongside her father for King Charles I. Among his acquisitions was her powerful allegorical self-portrait in the guise of La Pittura (Painting).

Despite personal trauma and the challenges of a male-dominated artistic world, Artemisia continued to overcome adversity, producing some of the most compelling and emotionally resonant works of the early seventeenth century.

This interactive online talk is given by Siân Walters, Director of Art History in Focus and Founding Honorary Chair of the International Art Council for Artemisia Gold, the charity dedicated to identifying, restoring and exhibiting artwork by women.

Event details

Date: Monday 9th March, 2026
Time: 6.00 pm (UK time)
Format: Live online lecture

Book your place:
https://arthistoryinfocus.com/register/

For more information please visit:
https://arthistoryinfocus.com/product/artist-in-focus-artemisia-gentileschi/

Artemisia Gold & Ireland-Italy Projects
are pleased to invite you to a private tour of the Spada Gallery
in the company of director Adriana Capriotti

With a focus on two paintings by Artemisia Gentileschi, her Madonna & Child and Santa Cecilia both subject to a recent diagnostic campaign and publication sponsored by Artemisia Gold.

Followed by a visit to the secret garden to see Borromini’s famous ‘Prospettiva’

Tuesday, 3rd February, 2026
Spada Gallery, Piazza Capodiferro
11.30 am

RSVP
to Jane Adams at jane@artemisiagold.org