Seaford u3a News

The u3a coffee morning for October will be on Wednesday 19th at the Con Club, Crouch Lane, Seaford from 10am until noon. As usual this is free and open to members and prospective members. Coffee, tea and light refreshments, including savouries, will be available. This is an excellent opportunity for prospective members to meet the members in convivial surroundings – no booking is necessary.

The series of members’ talks at the Downs got off to a good start on 1st September, when a member who had formerly been a lecturer at the Open University gave the first of a series of talks entitled ‘Florentine Renaissance Sculpture – Donatello and his contemporaries’. This was of particularly topical interest as there will be an exhibition at the V&A next February of Donatello’s works.

Donatello was born in Florence in about 1386 and died there in 1466, thus representing the early years of the Italian Renaissance. He worked in Florence, Rome,

Recycling old inflatables: lilos, dinghies, arm bands, paddling pools, beach balls (and air beds!) – saving them from landfill and protecting the environment! Drop off points in Seaford:

Seaford Climate Hub (4 Clinton Place); Swimming Squidz Swim School (Marine Parade). Don’t forget to bring back your inflatables from holiday so they can be recycled too! Individual bags and purses will be sold via our website (currently under construction) and part of the proceeds from every sale will go to the RNLI. www.facebook.com/thereinflatables www.instagram.com/thereinflatables

If you can’t get to the drop off points please call: 07765 903165 –Sewing Machinists also wanted!

Siena, Padua, Venice, Modena and Pisa. Following on from the freedom and realism introduced into painting by the Florentine artist Giotto, Donatello began to introduce a new realism into sculpture, moving away from the classical sculpture of the Ancient Greek statues.

The speaker opened the talk with a picture of a beautiful shallow-relief plaque from a museum in Berlin showing the Virgin and Child. This was not an unusual subject for painters and sculptors, but what was different about this and characteristic of Donatello was the humanity of the figures and the tenderness which was evident between them. Some echoes of classical sculpture remained in the prominent straight nose of the Virgin which was reminiscent of Greek classical statues. The shallow-relief technique was a style perfected by Donatello. Later Donatello sculpted two famous statues of David (of Goliath fame). In 1408 (re-worked in 1416) he made a marble statue which was notable for its naturalistic drapery and the beautiful curls on David’s head. In 1435 – 40 he created a most beautiful bronze statue of David, again showing him as a young boy. Both statues exhibit the naturalistic, flowing style which Donatello made his own. They are in museums in Florence.

Our speaker finished by going back in time to Nicola Pisano, who in 1259 –1261 sculpted a marble pulpit in the Baptistry at Pisa, which must have been known by Donatello. This represented the beginning of the progression from the Gothic to the early Renaissance period.

The Downs talks continue in October with a series about Bach’s Cantatas followed by a series on The History of Ukraine. Downs talks are open to members only and there is a small entry fee.

The other activities of Seaford u3a, the home and hall groups, the pub lunches and the outings continue to entertain and educate the members in true u3a style.

For more information about Seaford u3a see the website www.u3asites.org.uk/seaford. To find out about membership email seafordu3a@gmail.com sending your postal address for a welcome pack.