The Academy Art Museum is pleased to present a series of four Art History Lectures with Benjamin C. Tilghman on Thursdays beginning June 1 from 11 am – 12:30 pm. The history of art is long and vast, and it can be hard to know how to start exploring it. This series will look at four important periods in the history of Western art while also explaining some of the tools art historians use to better understand historical art. By tracing the developments of different genres such as landscape, history painting, and self-portraiture, we can also develop our skills of perceiving changes in style, iconography, and social context that shaped how works of art were made and seen.
Benjamin C. Tilghman is associate professor and chair of Art + Art History at Washington College and a member of the Material Collective, a collaborative working group of art historians that explores innovative and more humane modes of scholarship. A specialist in Medieval, Renaissance, and Islamic art, he previously worked at the Walters Art Museum and is currently chair of Chestertown’s Public Arts Committee.
Classes and Dates:
JUNE 1 – INVENTING “ART” IN THE RENAISSANCE – In the 15th century, artists and patrons alike began to think differently about how art could be made and seen. We will explore this momentous shift by examining the innovative work of artists such as Jan van Eyck, Albrecht Dürer, and Leonardo da Vinci.
JUNE 8 – VIRTUOSITY AND THEATRICALITY IN THE 17th CENTURY – Keen intellects, extraordinary technical skills, and a deep love for the dramatic moment distinguish much of the art of this century. Even as we appreciate the distinctive visions of such masters as Johannes Vermeer, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, we can also see deeper shared interests beneath the surface.
JUNE 15 – REPRESENTING REALITY IN THE 19th CENTURY – What, in the end, should an artist depict in their work? How can they best represent the world around them? We will see how these questions fired the minds of Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, and Gustave Caillebotte, among others.
JUNE 22 – MODERNISM: NEW ART FOR A NEW AGE – Famous as the age of “-isms,” the early 20th century was an unruly and sometimes raucous time as artists struggled to make sense of the rapid changes in the world around them. Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Hilma af Klint, and others will help us start to make sense of this restless period.
Sign-up for individual classes listed above or the whole series. Classes are $24 for AAM Members and $29 for non-members and the series is $90 for AAM Members and $100 for non-members. For more information visit academyartmuseum.org
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