A huge thank you to LEH Alumna Letizia Treves (LEH 1985-1992), who returned to school to give a fascinating lecture about “Looking at Pictures”, something that she loves to do and has inspired her entire career.
 
This was a unique opportunity to hear a leading expert in her field talk about her career at Sotheby’s and her role as a curator at the National Gallery.
 
In her talk Letizia focused on different aspects of her work such as display, research, exhibitions and acquisitions.
 
She discussed the National Gallery’s most recent acquisition, a self-portrait by the most celebrated female painter of the 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi, and its recent conservation treatment.  Artemisia worked all over Europe for the highest echelons of European society, including Charles I and Philip IV of Spain.  She also had a turbulent private life, and was the victim of a notorious rape.
 
After a five-month conservation treatment, the National Gallery recently unveiled Artemisia Gentileschi’s Self-Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, which will visit a number of locations across the country later this year. The self-portrait will be a highlight in the UK’s first ever exhibition devoted to the artist, opening in April 2020 at the National Gallery and curated by Letizia herself.
 
The girls had many questions for Letizia, including asking about the differences between working for Sotheby’s and the National Gallery.  She said both offered very different experiences in her career and she loved both opportunities.