Francis Place, William Lodge and the York Virtuosi

With Dr. Helen Pierce

York in the long 18th century was a vibrant hub for intellectual and creative activity. The ‘York Virtuosi’, a collection of gentlemen who met regularly in the city on social and intellectual terms, typified this dynamic cultural milieu.

Described by George Vertue as ‘a set of most Ingenious Virtuoso’ they included a physician, an antiquarian, a mathematician, several amateur artists and a glass painter.

Focusing on the artistic activities of two members, ‘sworn brothers’ Francis Place and William Lodge, Dr. Helen Pierce (Lecturer in British Art at the University of Aberdeen and key researcher into York’s Virtuosi) explores the pair’s varied output including topographic views of York, fishing trips and sketching tours, scientific illustrations and experimental pottery, with a case of mistaken identity and imprisonment thrown in for good measure.

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