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Lecture

Patrick Bade
The National Gallery London, Part 6: French School

Sunday 30.11.2025

How to watch

This lecture starts on 30 November at 5:00pm (UK).

Summary

French painting in the National Gallery begins in the 17th century with Poussin, Claude, and the Le Nain brothers, and continues into the 18th Century with Watteau, Chardin, Boucher, and Fragonard. The Romantic period begins with Delacroix and Ingres and ends in a burst of glory with Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Among the outstanding masterpieces studied in this lecture are Poussin’s Worship of the Golden Calf, Claude’s Departure of the Queen of Sheba, Chardin’s Young Governess, Ingres’s Portrait of Madame Moitessier, Monet’s La Grenouillère, and Seurat’s Une baignade à Asnières.

Patrick Bade

An image of Patrick Bade.
Patrick Bade is a historian, writer, and broadcaster. He studied at UCL and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was a senior lecturer at Christie’s Education for many years and has worked for the Art Fund, Royal Opera House, National Gallery, and V&A. He has published on 19th- and early 20th-century paintings and historical vocal recordings. His latest book is Music Wars: 1937–1945.