Art and Folklore

Folklore might be categorised as the stories we tell, the odd beliefs and habits we inherit, the superstitions that get passed on.

Folklore might be categorised as the stories we tell, the odd beliefs and habits we inherit, the superstitions that get passed on – the “unofficial” ideas that colour our view of the world, the weird edge of the everyday. This study day explores the fascinating relationship between folklore and visual art in two different ways. One is to ask how artists have responded to such unofficial aspects of our traditional culture. How do the fairies, ghosts and mermaids who inhabit a mythic world which in our imaginations is half-integrated with this one, appear in our books, adverts band art galleries? Can you illustrate a superstition and why would you choose to paint traditions rooted in an undocumented past?
Secondly, has the history of art developed its own folklore? Do we tell the same stories, expect artists to observe the same rituals and spin familiar legends about artistic eccentricities, weird pictures and secret histories? With examples ranging from classical to Victorian art, from Mediaeval carvings to Internet mythology, this study day offers new insights into a fascinating process of cultural interaction.

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