Introduction – Britain and the World in the Middle Ages: Image and Reality

Lecture Series – Jessica Berenbeim, Lloyd de Beer

7 April 2022
6:00 – 7:30 pm
The first in a six-part public lecture course on Britain and the World in the Middle Ages: Image and Reality.
Paul Mellon Centre and Online

In the Middle Ages, the “British Isles” were far from insular. These islands were, in fact, places of exchange, where art, ideas, rare materials and people came together from all over the world. This course examines Britain’s sense of place in that world, as well as its actual place in the world – in other words, image and reality – by examining medieval images themselves. Each of the course’s lectures considers one of five critical themes in Britain’s global experience and imagination, through the exploration of works of medieval art. The first lecture, presented by the Course Convenors, will introduce these themes and explain why they are so significant in medieval culture, as well as to our own current understanding of the Middle Ages and the history of British art.

No prior art historical knowledge is necessary.

Registration is required. Please book tickets in the link above.

Please note this event will take place in our Lecture Room, located on the First Floor. Full accessibility information is available here. The event will also be live-streamed via Zoom Webinar.

Guidance for Events

We are delighted to welcome you back to the Paul Mellon Centre in London for in-person events. We would like to make your visit as safe and enjoyable as possible and have put in place several measures to protect you and our staff.

If You’re Feeling Unwell

If you or anyone you live with displays symptoms associated with COVID-19, please stay at home even if you have made a booking for one of our events.

Face Coverings

We ask all event attendees to wear a face mask. If you have forgotten yours, please ask our Reception staff and we will provide you with one. We will not ask speakers to wear a mask and you may take off your mask while asking a question.

Ventilation

We have installed air purifiers in event spaces, to enhance ventilation.

Social Distancing

We will offer a reduced seating capacity to ensure space between seats so that event attendees can feel safe and comfortable. All our events will be hybrid and there will be a live-stream option available for those who cannot be in the building.

Eating and Drinking

Drinks and, in some instances, snacks will be served in a separate space after an event. We will ensure that these spaces are particularly well ventilated by using air purifiers and by keeping doors and windows open if needed.

Hygiene Stations

Motion-sensor hand sanitiser stations have been installed in key areas of the building, as well as motion-sensor soap dispensers in toilets. Please clean your hands regularly and follow our hygiene guidance signs.

Cleaning

We will continue to invest in the extra cleaning services that we have introduced since our reopening, until further notice.

Assisting the Test and Trace Scheme

In order to be able to contact anyone who may have been exposed to someone presenting with Covid-19 symptoms since being at the Centre, we will ask all visitors for their contact details on arrival. This data will be kept for twenty-one days and then permanently deleted.

Facilities

The ground floor toilets will be dedicated for visitor use only. Lockers will be available to store your belongings, but we ask that you do not bring any bulky items with you.

About the speakers

Jessica Berenbeim is University Lecturer in Literature and Visual Culture at the Faculty of English, University of Cambridge, and the Curator of Works of Art at Jesus College, Cambridge, where she is a Fellow. She is the author of Art of Documentation: Documents and Visual Culture in Medieval England (2015). Her research concerns the aesthetics and materiality of writing, interdisciplinary and global medieval studies and philosophy of history. She has been a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Paul Mellon Centre, a Fellow by Examination at Magdalen College, Oxford, and a Long-term Fellow in Cultural and Intellectual History at the Warburg Institute.
Lloyd de Beer is Curator: Medieval Britain and Europe in the department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory at the British Museum, where he has worked since 2012. He recently curated the blockbuster exhibition Thomas Becket: Murder and the Making of a Saint. In January 2022 Lloyd began a three-year fellowship, jointly funded by the British Academy and the Wolfson Foundation, working on a project called The Age of Copper, Ivory and Gold: England and West Africa in the Middle Ages.