Organised by National Gallery
IMPORTANT: You must pre-book via this link to attend this event
Mass mindfulness
Jan van Kessel's nature tables
Reconnect with art and nature at this slow, mindful look at Jan van Kessel's still lifes
Caught up in our frantic lives, it is easy to overlook the world around us.
This Mental Health Awareness Week, take one hour to deepen your connection with nature through close looking at National Gallery paintings and the world around us.
In this webinar session, Dr Christina Bradstreet will guide you in taking a close look at Jan van Kessel's paintings of insects and plants, as well as the nature in and around your home.
You will need to bring 10 natural items. Please see the preparation section below.
Image: Detail from Jan van Kessel the Elder, 'Insects with Common Hawthorn and Forget-Me-Not', 1654
Speaker
Dr Christina Bradstreet is our Courses and Events Programmer. She is the author of ‘Scented Visions: smell in nineteenth-century art’. Her passion is promoting adult engagement with art and art history through innovative teaching approaches, including pioneering work in the field of art and mindfulness.
Preparation
Please prepare for the session by gathering 10 small, ordinary, natural items. Take some time to collect leaves on a local walk, flowers, twigs or rocks from your garden, or other natural objects that appeal to you, and which you can ethically and responsibly bring to the session. If you can't get outside, you could bring natural items from your home such as dried flowers, pine cones, shells or fruit. You will also need a surface, such a tray or sheet of paper, to display your items on.
Supported by Elizabeth and Daniel Peltz OBE