Four leading historians and cultural commentators explore Gothicism across centuries - from its medieval roots through the 18th-century literary revival to its continued influence on art, architecture and popular culture today.
Speakers and topics:
- Alice Loxton examines John Everett Millais's iconic painting Ophelia, uncovering the tragic story of the model Elizabeth Siddal and the 19th-century fascination with doomed heroines.
- Dr Rebecca Marks traces the etymology and evolution of "Gothic" from the Ostrogoths and Visigoths through medieval architecture, 18th-century terror novels, and 1980s subculture - revealing why Gothic horror endures in modern imagination.
- Daniel Wilson investigates haunting memorials and monuments in British parish churches and cemeteries, from medieval transi-tombs to Victorian-era funerary art that drew inspiration from macabre traditions.
- Seb Harding explores the Gothic house as a cultural icon through architecture, literature and film - from Beckford's Fonthill Abbey to Hitchcock's Bates Motel - and what this fascination reveals about society and identity.
Each speaker will give a relaxed talk followed by audience questions and a book signing. All proceeds support The Victorian Society, the only UK charity dedicated to preserving Victorian and Edwardian heritage.
