My wife went to the Adfas talk today at Trinity Church, and I am typing this as she speaks.

It was titled ‘Auguste Rodin – The First Modern Sculptor?’

She first went into the church hall next door thinking the lecture would be there, but found people doing some sort of stretching exercise class.

Next door she found Trinity Church was already 3/4 full. She had struck lucky because usually non-members are charged £6 but today to encourage new members the lecture was free. Adfas meet on the third Wednesday of the month, with an art lecture repeated morning and afternoon.

The lecture was given by a German lady who had studied at The Courtauld Institute.

She looked at how Sculpture had changed through Rodin’s work. She showed how he acted as a bridge between traditional and modern art. In his day some of his works were ridiculed – the way he simplified figures to bring out their character. The people who commissioned a statue of Balzac by Rodin were not very pleased with how the plaster was hacked and punched together. It looked ‘like a toad in a sack, and still wrapped up.’

The lecturer also showed some of Rodin’s sketches of nudes and apologised that she could not show more in a church setting.

It was a well presented lecture.

Tomorrow at Trinity Church hall there will be Baby Ballet Classes for 2-4 year olds.