Contemplations

Find a moment of quiet contemplation at this online mindfulness session.

Art historian and mindfulness practitioner Karly Allens leads this event. Join Karly for a pause in front of two Spanish paintings – a warm-up activity with Luis Meléndez’s ‘Still Life with Lemons and Oranges’ and then a sustained look at Diego Velázquez’s ‘Christ in the House of Martha and Mary’ .

Together, we will savour the contrasts of abundance and restraint, delight in colour, texture, and detail while also noticing simplicity and sparsity in the artists’ choices.

For many, this is a season of contemplative restraint before celebratory feasting. Embrace these contrasts and the practical skills of directing your attention with purpose, in everyday life, and when looking at art.

Mindfulness is a meditative practice which focuses on being aware of what you are sensing and feeling without judgement. No previous experience of mindfulness is needed. We invite you to find a quiet space for this reflective and restorative session.

Karly Allen has 25 years' experience of designing and facilitating art engagement programmes for museum collections, with a focus on the art of close looking. Karly enriches her teaching with her training as a mindfulness teacher and drawing practitioner. Through her work with Limina Collective, she contributes to the emerging international field of mindfulness in museums.

A recording of this event will be made available to all ticket holders in the days following the event.

This recording will be available for two weeks.

Automatic closed captioning is available for this event.