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Taster lecture: Paintings of Women and the Garden
Online course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations. Find out more >>
Thinking about an online course? Join V&A Academy course leader Christine Lalumia for a free, live online taster lecture exploring paintings of women, flowers and gardens.
Painted images of women in the garden abound and it can be easy to dismiss these depictions as simply ‘pretty’, decorative works. However, many genre pictures featuring women engaged in various activities involving plants, flowers and actual gardening are, in fact, filled with social comment and sharp observation.
Focusing on works painted between 1850 and 1980, we will unpick some of the possible meanings behind the imagery. We will consider whether these representations provide us with valuable insights into the intentions of the artist and, more widely, the social context and artistic trends of the time.
After the live lecture, you will also receive a viewing link to enjoy the recording on catch-up, available for a limited time.
Ready to learn more? Join Christine Lalumia and guest lecturers on our 5-week online course Gardens and Art, starting with live lectures from 12 November 2026, available on catch up until 14 January 2027.
Discover all V&A Academy courses, workshops and events.
Painted images of women in the garden abound and it can be easy to dismiss these depictions as simply ‘pretty’, decorative works. However, many genre pictures featuring women engaged in various activities involving plants, flowers and actual gardening are, in fact, filled with social comment and sharp observation.
Focusing on works painted between 1850 and 1980, we will unpick some of the possible meanings behind the imagery. We will consider whether these representations provide us with valuable insights into the intentions of the artist and, more widely, the social context and artistic trends of the time.
After the live lecture, you will also receive a viewing link to enjoy the recording on catch-up, available for a limited time.
Ready to learn more? Join Christine Lalumia and guest lecturers on our 5-week online course Gardens and Art, starting with live lectures from 12 November 2026, available on catch up until 14 January 2027.
Discover all V&A Academy courses, workshops and events.
Course Leader
Christine Lalumia
Christine Lalumia lectures and writes on design, art and garden histories with a keen interest in cultural context. She was a consultant lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, deputy director of The Museum of the Home for 21 years, and is lead-convenor for the Seminar in Garden History & Designed Landscapes at the Institute of Historical Research.
These short courses give a really good introductory insight into a something you may want to discover more about, and at a pace and time that suits you. What's not to like! Previous V&A Academy Online course attendee
V&A Academy Online. A learning environment you can trust.
Our courses are built using the latest Microsoft software. Tune in to expert lectures live or catch up on demand. Join discussions and continue your learning with downloadable handouts and presentations. Find out more >>
Enrol now
Online course: Taster lecture: Paintings of Women and the Garden
8 October 2026
Free
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
Related events
Header image: In a Shoreham Garden, c.1830, Samuel Palmer, V&A