A cultural history of the world’s greatest desert, from rock art and myth, to The Desert Fathers, Sons of the Desert, Klee and Matisse, Schultz and Lucas …   The Sahara has inspired the artistic and cultural life of the West for millennia, and this eye opening presentation allows us to journey there with no risk of getting lost in a sandstorm.

The Sahara proved as vital for the oracles of Ancient Greece as it has for the high priests of Hollywood, and North African landscapes have witnessed the creation of both stunning prehistoric rock art and impressionist canvasses; inspired mythology and faith; and been a muse for every form of creative endeavour.  Whether resident, foreign adventurer, or armchair traveller and artist, the deserts of North Africa are a palimpsest upon which poets, painters, filmmakers and other dreamers have been inspired by and drawn to for millennia.

This is a fascinating talk through time and space, war and peace, love and loss, that will never again let you see the Sahara as a blank canvas.

Please note: APRIL Lecture – Refreshments will be available from 10.30am,  before our ‘live’ lecture, on 5 April, in the Kensington Library Lecture Hall.