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The first meeting of the academic year for the History of Art Society was a very challenging mixture of lecture and seminar formats, on the topic of the Art and Design of the Weimar Republic, in relation to the politics and society of that period in German history. Alexandra Fielding and Andy McKay from Art History Abroad opened up the topic in a very skilful way, asking the boys in the audience to explain the impact of defeat in the First World War on Germany, the impact of hyper-inflation and then the economic recovery that followed. The boys were then given a set of images from artists such as Otto Dix, Max Beckman, George Grosz and the Bauhaus designers, and asked to form pairs, to research the answers to set questions. The result was a fascinating discussion session in which members of the audience, who ranged from F Block to B Block, spoke with impressive insight and originality. It was a very encouraging way to start the year, and showed what a wide range of critical expertise so many of the current Eton boys possess.

J.D.H.