The Arts Society Cranleigh brings expert speakers to the village for illustrated lectures on art and culture. Here is a look ahead to the next meeting.
Wednesday 23rd September 2026 at 2.00pm: John Singer Sargent, The Private Radical, with Gavin Plumley.
Whether drawing duchesses or portraying princes, John Singer Sargent was high society’s leading portraitist. Flaunting a consummate technique, his luxurious canvases mirrored his subjects’ wealth. Yet beneath the dazzling veneer of works such as Madame X, The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit and Lady Agnew of Lochnaw lurks a much rawer world by far.
“Beneath the dazzling veneer of his luxurious canvases lurks a much rawer world by far.”
Sargent certainly scandalised Parisian society and the city’s Salon with his frank depictions of human sexuality, yet he was even more modern than they might have feared.
Please note that we are unable to welcome guests until further notice. Meetings are held at Cranleigh Arts Centre. Please contact [email protected] or visit our website at www.theartssocietycranleigh.org.uk. Registered Charity no. 1142228.
This article first appeared in the August 2026 issue of Cranleigh Magazine. Pick up your free copy around the village, or read more at cranleighmagazine.co.uk.
