Campion Hall, one of Oxford’s permanent private halls, may have unknowingly owned an original painting by Michelangelo since the 1930s.

 

Antonio Forcellino, a respected art scholar, has used infrared techniques to examine preliminary sketches underneath the painting. He suggests that this shows the artwork Crucifixion With The Madonna, St John And Two Morning Angels to have been painted by Michelangelo, and not his contemporary Marcelo Venusti, as previously had been thought.

 

The artwork is one of two pieces identified by Mr Forcellino in his book The Lost Michelangelos. The other, an unfinished painting of Mary and Jesus, was found in an American family home where it had been stored behind the sofa for safekeeping.

 

The relatively small work, measuring around 20” x 13′, had simply been hanging on a wall. Since the new evidence, it has been safely stored in the Ashmolean.

 

However the process of identifying an artist is rarely definitive. Dr Geraldine Johnson, lecturer of History of Art at the University of Oxford, hadn’t yet seen the evidence but said ‘even if it turns out to be compelling, it would still need to be assessed critically in light of other available evidence’.

 

This would include ‘close visual analysis of the style, composition, and painting technique’ alongside ‘provenance research and other relevant and historical/iconographic information.’

Leeds University staff voted in favour of the motion of no confidence in David Willetts at the bi-monthly senate meeting on Wednesday 6th July, becoming the first English university to condemn the White Paper.

The decision follows that of Oxford’s parliament on the 7th June, where 283 academics voted for and only 5 against the motion of no confidence in Willetts.

Despite many senate members abstaining from the vote, the critics of the Universities Minister gained a narrow majority, allowing the academic governing body to pass the motion entitled “The University of Leeds has no confidence in the policies of the Minister for Universities and Science. Senate urges the University Secretary and Council to convey this message to Government.”

Mark Sewards, Leeds University Union communications officer, stated that “There were many abstentions and even those who voted against the motion said they were unhappy about what was happening. They were just concerned if it was the right time and place to pass a motion.”

Sewards, with other officers of the Union, described Willett’s proposed policy as “an outright attack on fair access to university for all”, one which “will further serve to perpetuate inequality in society”.

Significantly, the “managerial” structure of Leeds University has not prevented the condemnation of Willetts and the White Paper, a structure closer to other UK universities than to the governance structures in Oxford and Cambridge.

David Barclay, OUSU President and founder of the No Confidence Campaign, hailed the move as “a huge step forward in the fightback against the Government’s disastrous plans for Universities.”

‘This brave decision by Leeds is the first of what will be a long line of blows to the Government’s vapid and dangerous White Paper. Students do not want to be consumers, and academics do not want to see the Universities they love condemned to underfunding and the whims of the market.’

Malcolm Povey, President of the Leeds branch of the UCU, which supported the University’s decision by unanimously passing a motion of no confidence in Willetts, stated that “it is fair to say that the motion was inspired by the Oxford Motion of No Confidence”.

The Oxford parliament’s vote has led to a domino effect amidst other HE institutions, as more and more universities take action against the government proposals.

150 Cambridge academics signed a motion of no confidence in David Willetts this month, whilst over 700 academics and students at the University of Warwick have signed a petition conveying the same message.

Andrew Dilnot has signalled his intentions for the next stage in his career with the publication of a national care report this week.

The report, published by the Commission on Funding of Care and Support, of which Dilnot is Chair, has claimed that social care costs should be capped to a maximum of £35,000 in order to ensure that people do not risk losing all their assets later in life. After this amount has been reached, the individual would be eligible for full state support.

The Principal of St Hugh’s plans to step down in September 2012 to take up a post as Warden of Nuffield, a social science graduate college.

However, in an email sent out to St Hugh’s students, Dilnot said that this position ‘will allow me to spend much more time doing economics again’.

Dilnot has described the current system of social care as ‘confusing, unfair and unsustainable’ and expressed hope that some changes will be seen in next spring’s white paper.

“Under our proposed system everybody who gets free support from the state now will continue to do so and everybody else would be better off.

‘Putting a limit on the maximum lifetime costs people may face will allow them to plan ahead for how they wish to meet these costs. By protecting a larger amount of people’s assets they need no longer fear losing everything.”

The report acknowledges that these changes would cost the government between £1.3 billion and £2.2 billion. It suggests that those who will benefit directly from these reforms, those people over state pension age, should experience ‘‘at least a part of the burden’’.

The opening of the Gladstone Link last Tuesday has marked the creation of a completely new study environment in the Bodleian.

The link is part of a tunnel, named after Victorian Liberal Prime Minister and Oxford graduate William Gladstone, which allows readers to move underground between the Old Bod and the Rad Cam for the first time.

The facility, incorporating 120 work stations and doubling the Bod’s provision of open shelf material, is a small part of the £5 million redevelopment of the University’s library services.

A senior Bodleian librarian involved in the design of the two-levelled basement space described it as an “experiment”, emphasising that the environment would evolve depending on students’ wishes.

He drew attention to the more relaxed atmosphere as a contrast to traditional reading rooms; talking and group study are encouraged. There are even plans to permit hot drinks, with staff keen to promote the new tea room off the Old Bod quad.

Initial feedback on the area has been positive. The space was welcomed as something ‘very different’ by one visitor.

The development will also greatly increase access for those of limited mobility, with a new lift allowing movement to the upper and lower reading rooms and even occasional visits to the Rad Cam.

One student who has never directly accessed Oxford libraries before commented that she was looking forward to “an environment more conducive to study,” rather than having books delivered to her college room.

The book stacks previously housed in the area have migrated to Swindon, allowing the New Bod’s reincarnation into a ‘Special Collections research library” due to open in 2015. A former underground bookstore is to become the location for frequently ordered and new material.

No 9 nightclub has just announced that it will be launching a new ladies night every Thursday with drinks served by topless male bartenders.

On Thursday nights between 9pm and 3am male bartenders will serve tables wearing only their underwear.

The High Street venue, formally known as Escape, will become the first nightclub in Oxford to host such a night.

Steve Fontaine, the director of No.9,  has described the night as “just a bit of fun.”

Fontaine told the Oxford Mail “It’s certainly not a lapdancing club and it won’t be tacky. All of our male barman will wear just their underwear on Thursday nights because we want to create a relaxed environment where women can go and enjoy themselves. There have always been places where women have worked topless for male audiences. Why shouldn’t there be a similar place for women?”

Although No.9 was recently taken up by Varsity Events for their Saturday night slot, this

topless night does not look set to become an official student night.

However, when asked for their opinion, some female Oxford students displayed positive reactions to the event and suggested that it may become popular. One anonymous Univ student said ‘phwoar…topless barmen…that’s way better than Bridge.’

While Thirst Lodge recently had its licence for sexual entertainment revoked, the council has confirmed that No 9 will not need a licence for this new night.