Mud, gold and the meaning of materials in art history
Why do artists choose certain materials over others?
Thursday, 7 August 2025
1 - 2 pm
About
In art history, the role of material is often overlooked. Scholars have long favoured form over matter, treating material as a medium to be shaped. Yet from gold to mud, materials carry meaning. Artists have always chosen them with care, using their physical properties as well as cultural associations to add depth and significance to their work.
On the occasion on the National Gallery's new commission, 'Mud Sun', 2025, by Richard Long (b. 1945), join Ardalan Curator of Modern and Contemporary Projects, Daniel F. Herrmann, for a lecture on the meaning of materials in art.
Image: Detail from Richard Long, 'Mud Sun', 2025. © Richard Long
Speaker
Daniel F. Herrmann is our Curator of Modern and Contemporary Projects. He relates our paintings to contemporary art and culture through exhibitions, displays, commissions, residencies, research, and interpretation. He is the curator of 'The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Lucian Freud: New Perspectives'.
Talks & conversations
Lunchtime lecture: Material matters
Mud, gold and the meaning of materials in art history
Why do artists choose certain materials over others?
Thursday, 7 August 2025
1 - 2 pm
Free
Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
This event will take place in the Pigott Theatre, located on Level -1 of the Sainsbury Wing.