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Lars Tharp, lecturer, author, broadcaster and Antiques Roadshow regular
A
specialist in Ceramic History as well as oriental works of art, Lars Tharp (FSA)
is well known to viewers of the BBC Antiques Road show. He is a popular speaker
amongst many and varied societies and gatherings. He appears on numerous Radio
and television programmes, most recently presenting his own 12-part BBC Four
series, Inside Antiques (2004), while hosting several series of BBC Radio 4’s
antiques quiz, Hidden Treasures and For What It’s Worth –a social history of
“objects”.
Besides the Road show, TV projects have included Castle in the Country; a programme on Hans Christian Andersen (with Michael Rosen); and a documentary on another fellow Dane, the artist Vilhelm Hammershøj (with Michael Palin).
Lars was born in Copenhagen and educated in England. After studying at Cambridge, he joined Sotheby’s in 1977, becoming a director and auctioneer with the firm. In 1993 he left to set up his own consultancy business advising museums, auction houses and private clients on the acquisition, care and disposal of ceramics.
Talks
A frequent visitor to China, Lars lectures worldwide – to various academic and commercial institutions (including the National Trust, the National Art Collections Fund, New Scotland Yard, the RSA and several universities), to conferences, lecture societies, schools, festivals and corporate groups.
Lars offers a range of tailored talks, all superbly illustrated. These include:
A Life on the Road
A specialist in Ceramic History as well as oriental works of art, Lars Tharp is well known to viewers of the BBC Antiques Roadshow. This new talk, packed full of amazing facts and anecdotes, offers insights into the fascinating (and sometimes shady!) world of antiques. Whilst revealing his experiences in front of, and behind the BBC cameras, Lars describes some lighthearted, notable moments from the long-running ‘Antiques Roadshow’ series. On a more serious note, he also considers what makes parrticular objects so important, and valuable. Prepare to be enlightened and entertained!
'The China syndrome'
We have come a long way. In 2011 China officially overtook Japan to become the world’s second largest economy. On the basis of current trends, China will overtake the United States for poll economic position some time in the 2020s. And yet, a mere eight generations have passed since Lord Macartney’s thwarted expedition to “open up” China in 1794. Sketching a 500 year panorama of the East-West trade, including such tragi-comical episodes as the exchange of letters between King George III and the Qianlong Emperor and the subsequent collision of Empires, Lars illustrates the journey so far with porcelain, silks, tea and ideas. And what lies beyond the horizon?
Whores, Rakes and Crashing China (particularly suitable for schools)
Let Lars lead you through the harlot’s chamber, past milord’s mantelpiece and into the mayhem of London’s streets and taverns, hunting out along the way pots, crocks and porcelain -as seen through the eyes and works of England’s greatest narrative painter - Hogarth. Taking you into the very heart of 18th century London, it will open your mind to a whole new way of “reading” pictures while also presenting an original view of ceramic history.
On the China Trail
Lars takes us on some of his own journeys, from his degree in Stone Age archaeology to recent experiences retracing (for BBC Radio 4) of 'The China Trail' - the 500-mile route by which Chinese porcelains were transported over mountains and rivers to the port of Canton before beginning a perilous sea-journey to Europe. We also visit castles and open up collectors' cabinets of curiosities along the way. Richly illustrated with photos and some film footage, Lars talks about Objects and what they can tell us about our past and ourselves.
The Life and Times of Hogarth
What can we learn about a past age – and of its medical
condition – through the eyes of its artists? With his finger firmly on the pulse
of his times, Hogarth – one of Britain’s greatest painters - recorded on canvas
and in print the ailments of London society, as well as the practitioners of
their equally dangerous remedies, the ‘quack doctors’. Laid out prior to the
talk will be a selection of medical objects encountered in the works of Hogarth:
the audience is invited to examine the fiendish tools of the 18th century
doctor’s bag, and to diagnose their function. Not for the squeamish!
