This special Christmas-themed lecture by Dr Matthew Whyte will explore how the Most Wonderful Time of the Year has been visualised by some of history’s most notable artists. Scenes like The Nativity and The Adoration of the Magi have been commonplace in Christian Art since Antiquity.

However, artists such as Giotto, Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, and more have presented these well-worn subjects in novel ways which reveal fascinating insights into their working methods, the social divisions which defined their cultures, and the most turbulent spiritual crises that permeated all aspects of society. There are also numerous depictions of winter outside of Christianity, and these bring a wide array of ideas.