DRAWN TO NATURE: GILBERT WHITE AND THE ARTISTS.

AN ILLUSTRATED TALK BY SIMON MARTIN THE DIRECTOR OF PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY

CHAIRED BY SAVILIAN JOHN GILL

Since its publication in 1789, Gilbert White’s Natural History and Antiquities

of Selborne has inspired generations of artists, writers and naturalists. From Thomas Bewick to Eric Ravilious and John Piper, many artists’ depictions of animals, birds and wildlife have illustrated White’s celebrated book, together providing a microcosm of natural history illustration from the eighteenth century until today.

In his own recently published book, Drawn to Nature, Simon Martin has gathered joyful and beautiful images of the extraordinary array of wildlife described by White, and his illustrated talk will provide an inspiring insight into the continuing appeal and relevance of the timeless Natural History.

Simon Martin is Director of Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, UK. He has curated many exhibitions and written widely on Modern British and contemporary art, including books on Edward Burra, Gluck, John Minton, Eduardo Paolozzi, John Piper, Colin Self, Clare Woods, and, most recently, Glyn Philpot; Flesh and Spirit.

His thematic books include Conflict and Conscience: British Artists and the Spanish Civil War, and The Mythic Method: Classicism in British Art 1920-1950, and Drawn to Nature: Gilbert White and the Artists. He is a Trustee of the Artists Collecting Society, and also serves on the Fabric Advisory Committee of Chichester Cathedral; and the Courtauld Association Committee. He is an alumnus of the University of Warwick and the Courtauld Institute of Art.