E33: How to look at a painting

Do you enjoy going to art galleries? Have you ever done a tour of a gallery? Dido Powell’s tours are unique in the way she brings together her experience as an artist and her knowledge of art history to select and examine works in a gallery. This podcast offers a flavour of her approach to analysing an art work, as well as asking her about her practice as an artist and her interest in art history. Do listen, and if you would like to join a tour, details of the first one are below. If you would like to look at the painting while Dido describes it, go to the Tate website. Dido Powell’s London Art Gallery Tours 2025-2026This series of tours focuses on the theme of Fantasy and Imagination in Art.First tour Venue: Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG Date: Sunday November 30Time: 3pmTour leader, Dido Powell will select a small number of paintings for close analysis. We will start by looking at fantasy paintings from the 18th to 19th centuries inspired by literature and classical myths. We will explore the significance of the transformation from the written story to a visual language, of colour, haze, apparition and morphing creatures and humans.This will lead into looking at 19th century portraits of women in which the focus is on inner vision and dream, in defyance of the materialism and sexual prudery of the era.Finally , looking at 20th century paintings we will study the impact of new technologies, film and television on fantasies of the unreal made realistic, an ambition which enabled the Surrealists to proclaim that imagination was about to slash our notions of reality and rule supremeForthcoming tours will develop this theme. Dido will select for explication works in each gallery that we visit which defy or side step easy art historical classification. The creators of these works will have been driven by inner visions, a sense of mystery, secrecy, dreams, fantasies and obsessions. We will investigate the ways in which observed objective reality can be used to give credence to subjective fantasies and mysterious inner worlds, whilst simultaneously reflecting, for example, Enlightenment ideas on individuality and romantic myths associated with the crazed creative genius.These tours have now been running successfully for several years. Dido Powell is an excellent tour guide: as an artist and art history teacher, she provides unique insights into both familiar and less familiar masterpieces — including their historical context and their technical and aesthetic qualities. Her tours are always accessible, stimulating, informative and enjoyable.Price £15 per personIf you would like to book a place and/or receive information about further tours taking place from January to June 2026, please contact us here. Get full access to Arts First at artsfirst.substack.com/subscribe

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