ART historian Andrew Graham-Dixon shared his enthusiasm for some of history’s greatest paintings at an event designed to inspire future generations of critics.

The art enthusiast, famous for his many television shows and books and newspaper columns, delighted a packed audience at The North Wall arts centre at St Edward’s School in Summertown, as part of the venue’s series of Inspiring People talks. Half of all tickets were given away free to pupils of local schools.

The presenter, a graduate of Christ Church, Oxford, chose five paintings, shedding light on their subjects by revealing the stories behind their creation. Pictures included Caravaggio’s 1608 painting of The Beheading of St John the Baptist, Turner’s The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1834) and Patrick Caulfield’s Fish and Sandwich (1984), pictured.

He said: “It’s very important to be able to give people growing up an opportunity to understand there’s more out there than the easy options of video games and social media. It’s about giving people a sense of what’s good: non-virtual reality; real stuff.”