The Anglo-American Reinvention of the Renaissance
The Arts Society SW London hosts a talk by Lydia Goodson
Villa La Pietra. Picture: Lydia Goodson
April 13, 2026
The Arts Society SW London will welcome Renaissance specialist Dr Lydia Goodson for an evening lecture on Monday 11 May, exploring how English and American expatriates in late-19th-century Florence reimagined the Renaissance in their own villas, collections and daily lives.
The talk, A Re-Imagined Renaissance: The Villas and Collections of the Anglo-American Community in Florence in the Late 19th Century, will take place at The Community Church, Werter Road, SW15, from 8pm to 9pm (doors 7.30pm).
Ms Goodson, an art historian whose work spans painting, decorative arts, domestic interiors and the lived experience of Renaissance towns, brings a richly layered perspective to the subject. Her research traces not only the artistic legacy of the Italian Renaissance but also the ways in which later generations interpreted, collected and sometimes reinvented it. With an MA in Art History from Sussex, a BA in Renaissance History from Warwick and a PhD from the Warburg Institute, she has built a reputation for making complex histories accessible and engaging for audiences of all ages.
Her lecture will delve into the world of the Anglo-American community who settled in Florence during the late 1800s, drawn by a romantic vision of Renaissance culture. Many purchased villas and filled them with art, furnishings and decorative objects that reflected their own imaginative reconstructions of the past. Goodson will guide audiences through these homes and collections, revealing how nostalgia, scholarship and personal taste combined to create a distinctive cultural moment.
Tickets are £10 for non-members attending in person, or £5 online.
The Arts Society SW London is part of the wider national Arts Society network, a charitable organisation dedicated to enriching lives through the arts. The SW London branch has built a reputation for welcoming, high-quality cultural events that bring together people with a shared interest in art, history, music and design.
If you have never attended an Arts Society lecture before you are urged to join and find out about your local Arts Society.
Visit the society’s website for further details.
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