By Nicole Crescenzi
Art lovers can attend an interesting lecture series on how aging is portrayed across cultures and time.
The Gallery Associates of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria are presenting their ninth annual Sunday art lecture series; “As if Autumn Leaves: Age in Asian and Western Art.”
The three-part series will be presented by Katherine Young, Professor Emeritus (McGill University), and Associate Fellow at the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society at the University of Victoria.
Young has traveled extensively across the world over several decades and collected and examined art and texts relating to longevity, healthy old age and religious values supporting healthy practices, including from illustrations in old medical texts.
The first lecture, taking place on Feb. 26, is titled “Exploration of Age in South Asian Art.” It will examine how South Asian art features youth, including how the Buddha—who supposedly lived until he was 80 – is always portrayed as young in visual arts.
The second lecture, which takes place on March 5, is titled “Celebration of Elders in East Asian Art,” and explores historic portraits and statues of elders, including that of old Confucius, and how Daoism and Buddhism revere longevity and the elderly.
The third lecture takes place March 12 and is titled “Images of Age in Western Art.” It will explore the perception of age in Greco-Roman and Hellenistic images, followed by early Christian and pre-modern sculptures and portraits, followed by contemporary political and pop culture images.
Each lecture will run from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) at 1040 Moss St. Light refreshments will be served.
Tickets cost $75 for the entire series for Gallery members and students, or $90 for non-members. Each individual lecture is $30 for Gallery members and students or $35 for non-members. Tickets are available online at aggv.ca/Sunday-art-lecture-series-2023 . Funds raised will support the AGGV.