The Annual Beauforest Lecture - The Dance of Life: the art of Mildred Elsie Eldridge (1909-1991)
This year’s Annual Beauforest Lecture celebrates 20th-century artist and mural painter Mildred Elsie Eldridge. Eldridge’s work explores humanity’s loss of harmony with the natural world and the alienating effect of life in an urban mass society of industrialism; having a profound influence on her husband R.S. Thomas. ‘The Dance of Life’ was an extensive mural, much admired by Stanley Spencer, demonstrated the centrepiece of her artistic career. In her later years she focussed on watercolour paintings, and her work faded from view.

Tony Brown is Emeritus Professor in the School of English and Co-Director of the R.S. Thomas Research Centre at Bangor University, which holds major manuscript archives of both Thomas and Eldridge. He has published extensively on Thomas and on his relationship with Elsie Eldridge, whose autobiography he is currently preparing for publication.

Tickets are free for this in-person event, but booking is essential.
Date: 4 November 2023, 12:00 (Saturday, 4th week, Michaelmas 2023)
Venue: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street OX1 2PH
Speaker: Tony Brown (Bangor University)
Organising department: Ashmolean Museum
Organiser: Department of Western Art (Ashmolean Museum)
Organiser contact email address: publicprogrammes@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Ashmolean Seminars and Events
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://tickets.ox.ac.uk/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=ash&c=Conf23
Cost: Free
Audience: Public
Editor: Belinda Clark