To be held on 15 November 2023
For the last 150 years Christmas cards have been adorned with nativity scenes or holly, ivy and mistletoe, a rotund Father Christmas, hosiery, trees, and to the shout of Noel, Noel. Sacred and profane, plant symbolism and carols that echo the sacred magic of the nativity scene, the lowing animals popularized by St Francis of Assisi, the shepherds and kings, all playing their part and foretelling the future. There are also fashion plates, New Year wishes and cartoons. So what on earth do Christmas cards portray – tasty, tasteful or tasteless?
Image credit: The Nativity by Domenico Ghirlandaio c1492 copyright Fitzwilliam Museum.
Caroline Holmes
Caroline has lectured in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Europe and Japan as well as for cruises crossing the Baltic, Caribbean, Mediterranean and Red Seas, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In 2017 she returned to The Arts Society in New Zealand. She is a University of Cambridge ICE Academic Tutor and Course Director; she also lectures for the Royal Horticultural Society, museums and online for The Gardens Trust and organisations worldwide. She is the author of 12 books including Monet at Giverny, Water Lilies and Bory Latour-Marliac, the genius behind Monet’s water lilies; Impressionists in their Gardens; Follies of Europe: Architectural Extravaganzas; and in 2020 Where the wildness pleases – the English Garden celebrated. In 2017 she was the recipient of the Herb Society of America ‘Elizabeth Crisp Rea Award’.