Laura Knight was the first woman ever to be elected as a full member of the Royal Academy by the other Academicians. OK, so there were two women who were founder members back in 1768, but they had been selected, rather than elected... Everyone realised how good she was, and some even realised she would have got further had she been a man. Others were clearly threatened by her skill, and found her art 'inappropriate for a woman' - to put it in modern terms.

The MK Gallery - I'm not sure if they are trying to disguise the fact that they are in Milton Keynes - currently has a superb monographic exhibition (until 20 February), and it may finally give you a good reason to travel to this less-than-perfect New Town... it's not so far from London, after all. The exhibition covers her early years, and her time in Cornwall, before dealing thematically with her lifelong interest in dance, the theatre, and the circus. Her wartime commissions - including the famous, and rather brilliant, Ruby Loftus Screwing a Breech-Ring (detail above) - are also well represented. As with previous introductions, this talk will take you through the exhibition, and will based almost entirely on the material which is included - plus a little bit more.