The best art history isn’t found in textbooks. It’s in the gossip, the scandal, the human drama hiding in plain sight behind some of the world’s most famous paintings. I’ve spent years finding those stories, and rather a long time learning how to tell them properly.
The art historian in the room
I’m Lynne Hanley – art historian and the reason your guests will leave with stories they’ll want to retell.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities with Art History from the Open University and a Master’s degree in Art History from University College London, where I graduated with distinction. My specialist research focused on Cornelis van Haarlem’s treatment of the Cadmus myth, which is either very niche or very interesting depending on your point of view. My UCL examiners called it the latter, which was a relief.
My credentials matter, but what matters more is what I do with them. Anyone can recite dates and attributions. What I do is find the stories that make people lean forward in their seats.
UCL, 2017. On the floor because there were no desks. Worth it
Paris, early 1990s. Where it all began.
The budding art historian finds the National Gallery
My love affair with art began in Paris in the early 1990s, roaming the corridors of the Musée d’Orsay, loving a lot and understanding only a little.
In my twenties and early thirties I worked as a tour guide, quite by chance following the well-trodden path of the 18th century Grand Tourist, travelling through much of Europe and beyond, visually devouring everything from altarpieces to art installations, from Berlin to Beijing and back again.
Eventually I settled in London and found my spiritual home at the National Gallery. I started working in events with corporate clients and high net worth individuals, and over the years developped an instinct for what makes an audience engage and what makes them switch off. Event work was interesting. But it wasn’t my calling.
Then one day, browsing the internet in my dressing gown, I discovered a humanities course at the Open University.
The rest, as they say, is art history.
Why it matters for your guests
Academic rigour, a career spent translating briefs, reading rooms and making things happen, and a genuine obsession with the human stories behind great art. That’s what makes a Beyond the Palette experience different. Your guests don’t just leave entertained. They leave with stories they’ll want to retell.
Tell me about your event — I’ll get back to you within 24 hours to arrange a call.