Program Videos

Representation Synchrome & Synchromism: Sonia Delaunay, Blaise Cendrars & Morgan Russell in 1913 Paris

Gail Levin's illustrated talk will draw extensively upon her interviews in the 1970s with Sonia Delaunay. She will illuminate the relationship of art by the Ukrainian-born French artist and works by the Swiss poet Cendrars to the American Synchromist painter Morgan Russell (1886–1953), contextualizing Cendrars's inscription to Russell on the copy of the 1913 book La prose du Transsibérien et de la petite Jehanne de France, featured in the Morgan’s exhibition Blaise Cendrars (1887–1961): Poetry Is Everything.

Ferdinand Hodler and Mark Rothko: A Passion for the Italian Renaissance

Niklaus Güdel, Director of the Ferdinand Hodler Institute, Geneva, proposes a comparison between Ferdinand Hodler and Mark Rothko based on their common interest in the Italian Renaissance. Held Thursday, September 14, 2023.

Claude Gillot and the Paris Art World ca. 1690–1720

At the first international symposium devoted to the artist, scholars explore Gillot’s work and career in the context of the Paris art world, uncovering his professional network and assessing his contribution to changing tastes and his impact on the next generation of artists. Held Wednesday, May 10, 2023.

Gallery One: Where and How the World Met the Art of Bridget Riley

Thomas Crow, Rosalie Solow Professor of Modern Art, NYU/Institute of Fine Arts, explores how Bridget Riley found the catalyst for her signature mode of art--along with its first, electrifying exposure--in a highly idiosyncratic venue. Held Thursday, June 29, 2023.

Becoming Morgan: J. Pierpont Morgan's Early Collecting

Dr. Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum, traces the development of J. Pierpont Morgan as a collector of rare books and manuscripts. Held Tuesday, July 11, 2023.

Light and Flow: Liliane Lijn's Crossing Map

In this lecture, Jennifer Mundy, Thaw Senior Fellow and former Head of Art Historical Research, Tate, London, will explore what this book and its drawings reveal about Lijn’s development as an artist at a critical point in her career, and why she described Crossing Map as her ‘credo as a woman’. Held Friday, June 9, 2023.

Symposium: Piranesi Drawings: New Perspectives

The symposium is devoted to the drawings of the artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720–1778) and takes place in conjunction with the exhibition Sublime Ideas: Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi on view at the Morgan from March 10 through June 4, 2023 and is presented by the Morgan Drawing Institute. Held Friday, June 2, 2023.

"Variety Show" with Nina Katchadourian and Friends

In conjunction with the exhibition Uncommon Denominator: Nina Katchadourian at the Morgan, artists, writers, and musicians will respond to works in the exhibition through short performances. Held Sunday, February 26, 2023.

"An Inventive and Creating Genius:" Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Examining drawings from across Piranesi's career, John Marciari, Charles W. Engelhard Curator, will explore the distinctive aspects of Piranesi's graphic style and the use and reuse of drawings in his busy workshop.

Artist Talk: A Conversation with George Condo

In conjunction with the exhibition Entrance to the Mind: Drawings by George Condo in the Morgan Library & Museum, artist George Condo discusses the role of drawing in his practice and his interest in the art of the past with Isabelle Dervaux, Acquavella Curator and Head of Department, Modern & Contemporary Drawings. Held Thursday, February 23, 2023.

Making The Little Prince

Philip Palmer, the Robert H. Taylor Curator and Department Head of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, takes an in-depth look at the draft manuscript and original artwork for Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.

Held Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Lecture: She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia ca. 3400-2000 BC

Sidney Babcock, the Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Curator and Department Head of the Department of Ancient Western Asian Seals and Tablets and curator of She Who Wrote: Enheduanna and Women of Mesopotamia ca. 3400-2000 B.C., provides an overview of the exhibition’s themes and highlights several key objects.

LGBTQ+ Night

In celebration of Pride, the Morgan presents two lectures on queer artists Rick Barton and Ray Johnson. Held Friday, June 24, 2022.

Capturing Holbein: The Artist in Context

This symposium will feature presentations from an international group of experts, focusing on Holbein’s varied contributions to the development of sixteenth-century art. Held Friday, May 6, 2022.

Holbein and Thomas More: An Intimate Portrait

Hans Holbein the Younger’s portrait of Sir Thomas More, painted in 1527, is one of the pinnacles of the artist’s career. Xavier F. Salomon, Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, The Frick Collection, explores the friendship between artist and sitter. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Holbein: Capturing Character. Held Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Illuminated Hebrew Manuscripts: From Ashkenaz to America

In conjunction with Imperial Splendor: The Art of the Book in the Holy Roman Empire, 800–1500, Sharon Liberman Mintz, Curator of Jewish Art at The Library of The Jewish Theological Seminary, and Adam S. Cohen, Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Toronto, will consider the production, use, decoration, and meaning of Hebrew illuminated books made in Central Europe between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries

The Dresden Kupferstich-Kabinett: 300 Years of Keeping in the Present

Celebrate the opening of the exhibition Van Eyck to Mondrian: 300 Years of Collecting in Dresden with Stephanie Buck, Director of the Dresden Kupferstich-Kabinett, who explores the history of the Dresden collection and share insights into a number of exceptional drawings on view in the exhibition.

Held Friday, October 22, 2021.

The City as Signifier: Nuremberg in the Nuremberg Chronicle

Join Jeffrey F. Hamburger, exhibition co-curator and the Kuno Francke Professor of German Art & Literature in the Department of the History of Art & Architecture at Harvard University, for a lecture to celebrate the opening ofImperial Splendor: The Art of the Book in the Holy Roman Empire, ca. 800–1500.

Identity, Literature, and Art

In conjunction with the exhibition, Sikander: Extraordinary Realities,join the MacArthur Fellow and artist Shahzia Sikander in a virtual conversation with Roya Hakakian, poet and author of Beginners Guide to America: For the Immigrant and the Curious,moderated by Vishakha N. Desai, Senior Advisor for Global Affairs to the President of Columbia University.

Julie Mehretu and Shahzia Sikander In Conversation, Moderated by Gayatri Gopinath

Acclaimed artist Julie Mehretu joins Shahzia Sikander to discuss Shahzia Sikander: Extraordinary Realities, an investigation into the first fifteen years of Sikander's career, and Julie Mehretu, a mid-career survey on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art. This conversation is moderated by Gayatri Gopinath, Professor, Department of Social and Cultural Analysis, and Director, Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, New York University.

The Women Who Made the Morgan

Through the stories of Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950), private librarian of J. Pierpont Morgan and first director of the Morgan; Felice Stampfle (1913–2000), first curator of the collection of Drawings and Prints; and Edith Porada (1912–1994), honorary curator of Ancient Mesopotamian Seals and Tablets, we will explore the lasting mark that women have made at the Morgan through their leadership, scholarship, and acquisitions.

David Hockney: Drawing from Life

Join Isabelle Dervaux, Acquavella Curator of Modern & Contemporary Drawings, for a virtual guided tour of the exhibition David Hockney: Drawing from Life. David Hockney (b. 1937) is one of the most internationally respected and renowned artists alive today.  Held Friday, November 13, 2020.

The Classical and the Contemporary: Conversation with Jim Dine

 In conjunction with the exhibition Conversations in Drawing: Seven Centuries of Art from the Gray Collection, join us for a virtual conversation with Jim Dine, whose own work is featured in the show, discussing his drawing practice in relation to the history of Western art as represented in the exhibition by artists such as Veronese, Rubens, Ingres, Picasso, and Matisse. Held Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Tracking Down Our Roots: A Conversation with Ishmael Reed

Join novelist, poet, and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Ishmael Reed for a conversation on the empowering role of art as a vehicle for reclaiming elements of African spirituality and culture.

No Soft Nonsense: Presenting the Bold Anne Brontë

Join Christine Nelson, Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a fresh look at Anne Brontë (1820–1849), bold author and truth-teller, through the artifacts she left behind. Held Monday, November 23, 2020.

European Blockbooks: Print-on-Demand in the 15th Century

Based upon the collections of the Morgan Library & Museum, John T. McQuillen, Associate Curator of Printed Books & Bindings will present an introduction to the European blockbook, its history and production, and delve into the provenance of several of the copies in the Morgan's collection. Held  Wednesday, October 14, 2020.

The Research Library Today: A Conversation with Dr. Carla Hayden and Dr. Colin B. Bailey

Join Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, and Dr. Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum, for a discussion about the genesis of their institutions' collections and current missions, the challenges of physical custodianship in a digital age, and the roles played by the different directors of each institution, notably the Morgan's inaugural director, the African-American librarian and scholar, Belle da Costa Greene.

Poetry and Patronage: The Laubespine-Villeroy Library Rediscovered

Join guest curator Isabelle de Conihout and John Bidwell, Astor Curator of Printed Books and Bindings, for a virtual guided tour of the exhibition Poetry and Patronage: The Laubespine-Villeroy Library Rediscovered featuring luxury bindings commissioned by the French courtier Claude III de Laubespine (1545–1570).

Reflecting on Rembrandt

A virtual symposium reflecting on the exhibitions and research of the 2019 Rembrandt anniversary year. Co-sponsored by The Leiden Collection and the Drawing Institute of the Morgan Library & Museum. Held Friday, October 30, 2020.

Where in the World is Jean-Jacques Lequeu?

In this lecture Meredith Martin, Associate Professor at New York University, will explore various ways that Lequeu’s corpus has been interpreted and has proven to be fruitful for scholars and architects over the past two centuries. Held Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

Into the Wild: Medieval Books of Beasts

Join Deirdre Jackson, Assistant Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, as she focuses on the Morgan's "Worksop Bestiary" (MS M.81), made in England around 1185, which contains vibrant images of over 100 creatures. Held Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Alfred Jarry: The Carnival of Being

Take part in a virtual walk-through of the Morgan's exhibition devoted to the extraordinary figure Alfred Jarry (1873–1907). Sheelagh Bevan, Andrew W. Mellon Associate Curator in Printed Books & Bindings, will guide viewers through the installation. Held Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

Renoir and the Nude

This lecture by Colin B. Bailey, Director, offers a brief survey of the various iterations of the nude in Renoir’s long career—from his student days at the École des Beaux-Arts, his earliest affiliation with Monet and the future Impressionists, and the “crisis years” of the 1880s, to the last decades of his life, in which the female nude became the dominant subject of his repertory.

Letter-writing is not dead! Part 2: Handwriting is Not Dead!

In this two-part videos series, self-proclaimed letter-writing enthusiast (and Mean Girls star) Rajiv Surendra guides us through the art of writing a letter and maintaining a handwritten correspondence. Using the Morgan's collection as inspiration, Rajiv celebrates the charm and power of the epistolary enterprise.

Letter-writing is not dead! Part 1: Tips and Inspiration

In this two-part videos series, self-proclaimed letter-writing enthusiast (and Mean Girls star) Rajiv Surendra guides us through the art of writing a letter and maintaining a handwritten correspondence.

Interstellar Isolation: Saint-Exupéry’s Drafts for The Little Prince

Join Christine Nelson, Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a look at Antoine de Saint-Euxpéry's working drafts for The Little Prince, a classic story that suggests how we can combat isolation by trusting in the imagination, acknowledging pain, and building meaningful connections—even in a time of physical distancing.

Inside the Morgan: The Entrance Hall and East Room

Join Jennifer Tonkovich, Eugene and Clare Thaw Curator of Drawings and Prints, as she explores the creation of the splendid interiors of J. Pierpont Morgan's Library.

Rolling Stones: Looking at Ancient Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals

Sidney Babcock, Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Curator and Department Head, Ancient Near Eastern Seals and Tablets, will first give an overview of the Morgan’s world renowned collection of seals and learn about their significance in history and art then he will show you how to use the museum's website to get a upclose perspective of the collection. Held Wednesday, July 29, 2020.

The History of a Medieval Masterpiece

Join Joshua O'Driscoll, Assistant Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, for a virtual exploration of a 1,200-year-old book that forms the cornerstone of the renowned collection of illuminated manuscripts at the Morgan Library & Museum. Held Wednesday, July 1, 2020.

Rembrandt at the Morgan

The Morgan Library & Museum is one of the largest and richest depositories of Rembrandt’s drawings in North America, encompassing works from every stage of his long career. On July 15th—the 414th anniversary of the artist’s birth—join Austėja Mackelaitė, Annette and Oscar de la Renta Assistant Curator of Drawings and Prints, for a virtual tour of this extraordinary collection.

Drawing in the Computer Age

Rachel Federman, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Drawings and curator of the 2019 exhibition By Any Means: Contemporary Drawings from the Morgan, will investigate the intersection of drawing and computer technology and its impact on contemporary art.

Sublime Ideas: Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Curator John Marciari gives a preview of the postponed exhibition Sublime Ideas: Drawings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Held Wednesday, June 24, 2020.

The Black Hours at the Morgan Library & Museum

Join Frank Trujillo, Drue Heinz Book Conservator, and Roger S. Wieck, Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, for a discussion of the Morgan's Black Hours. Held Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

The Drawings of Al Taylor: Perspectives from a Curator and a Conservator

Take part in a virtual walk-through of the Morgan's exhibition devoted to the sensuous and humorous drawings of Al Taylor (1948–1999). Isabelle Dervaux, Acquavella Curator of Modern & Contemporary Drawings, and Lindsey Tyne, Associate Paper Conservator, will guide viewers through the installation.

Musical Scripture: A Virtual Tour in Beethoven's Workshop

Join Robinson McClellan, Assistant Curator of Music, to explore Beethoven’s creative choices, hear transcriptions of passages he discarded, and probe what E.T.A. Hoffmann meant when he wrote, of Beethoven, “His kingdom is not of this world.”

The Gutenberg Bible: A Virtual Tour

The Gutenberg Bible is the first monument to the invention of the printing press in western culture. The Morgan is the only institution in the world to have three significant copies, all purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan. Join John McQuillen, Associate Curator of Printed Books & Bindings, to learn about this treasure and why the Morgan has three copies.

Sir Isaac Newton's Pocket Knowledge: A Virtual Tour of a Morgan Library Notebook

Join Philip S. Palmer, Robert H. Taylor Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a closer look at Sir Isaac Newton's notebook, which comprises a diverse range of recipes, astronomical tables, mathematical problems, and linguistic observations.  Held Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

The Book of Ruth: Medieval to Modern

Join Roger Wieck, Melvin R. Seiden Curator and Department Head of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, and artist and illuminator Barbara Wolff as they discuss both Wolff's contemporary work and the ancient historic traditions. Held Tuesday, March 10, 2020.

Lequeu, exceptional draftsman?

Join Basile C. Baudez, Assistant Professor at Princeton University, for a presentation contextualizing Lequeu’s production in the history of architectural draftsmanship and to uncover the reasons why he remains one of the most fascinating artists of his time. Held Friday, January 31, 2020.

British Aristocrats and American Plutocrats in the Age of Sargent

Sir David Cannadine, Dodge Professor of History at Princeton University, President of the British Academy, and Editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, explores the interconnected, transatlantic worlds of the traditional and titled British wealth elite and the new American multimillionaires—the former on the defensive, the latter on the rise—during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Held Wednesday, December 11, 2019.

Verdi and the Ricordi Archive: An Evening with Pierluigi Ledda and Gabriele Dotto

In this conversation, Pierluigi Ledda, Managing Director of the Ricordi Archive, and Gabriele Dotto, Ricordi Archive Scientific Director and exhibition curator, discuss the history and resources of the Archive in general, and specifically the creation of Verdi’s operas Otello and Falstaff. Held Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

Crafting Cruelty: Hogarth’s Innovative Drawing Methods

Laurel Peterson, Moore Curatorial Fellow in the Department of Drawings and Prints, will offer new insights into Hogarth’s practice as a draftsman, shedding light on the evolution of his drawing style and the role played by drawings in the development of his most iconic satirical prints. Held Tuesday, June 18, 2019.

Carel van Tuyll: Annibale Carracci at the Morgan: Drawings from the Artist's Final Period

Carel van Tuyll, former director of the Department of Graphic Arts at the Musée du Louvre and the Drawing Institute’s 2019 Senior Fellow, gives the annual Thaw Lecture. Sponsored by the Morgan Drawing Institute, the annual Thaw Lecture aims to address critical topics in the study of drawings. Held Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Early Italian Drawings at the Morgan

In this lecture, Rhoda Eitel-Porter, Editor of Print Quarterly and former Charles W. Engelhard Curator of Drawings at the Morgan, discusses Early Italian drawings at the Morgan. Held Friday, February 15, 2019.

Pontormo from Drawing to Painting

Join Davide Gasparotto, Senior Curator of Paintings, J. Paul Getty Museum, for a discussion on works by Jacopo da Pontormo (1494–1557), executed between 1528 and 1530.

An Impetuous Genius: Drawings by Jacopo Tintoretto

Celebrating the opening of Drawing in Tintoretto’s Venice, John Marciari, Charles W. Engelhard Curator of Drawings and Prints—and the curator of the exhibition—presents a new overview of Tintoretto’s work as a draftsman.

Nicholas Penny: The Zoomorphic Mask

Sir Nicholas Penny, former director of the National Gallery, London, and the Thaw Senior Fellow at the Morgan Drawing Institute for 2018, gave the annual Thaw Lecture on "The Zoomorphic Mask." Held Tuesday, June 12, 2018.

The Monstrous Other in Medieval Art

Co-curators of the exhibition Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders, Sherry C.M. Lindquist, Associate Professor, Western Illinois University and Asa Simon Mittman, Professor, California State University, Chico, will discuss the ways that medieval artists and writers demonized cultural outsiders, transforming religious and racial others into monsters, framing poverty and impairment as sin, and characterizing women as inherently deviant and dangerous. Held Friday, June 8, 2018.

The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization

Martin Puchner, Byron and Anita Wien Professor of Drama and of English and Comparative Literature at Harvard University (author of The Written World), leads us on a journey through time and around the globe to reveal the powerful role stories and literature have played in creating the world we have today. Held Tuesday, May 22, 2018.

Artist Talk: A Conversation with Wayne Thiebaud

In conjunction with the exhibition Wayne Thiebaud, Draftsman, the artist discusses the role of drawing in his practice, his beginnings as a cartoonist, his sketching habits, his love of the Old Masters, and his fondness for classic American food. Held Friday, May 18, 2018.

Handwriting Is Not Dead: A Conversation with Collector Pedro Corrêa do Lago

Corrêa do Lago joins Christine Nelson, Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a lively discussion about the lure of handwriting and the joy of collecting.

Gainsborough Experiments: Cork, Broccoli, Milk, and Drawing the Landscape

In this lecture, Marco Simone Bolzoni, Moore Curatorial Fellow and curator of the exhibition Thomas Gainsborough: Experiments in Drawing, will investigate the unorthodox means and materials used by the artist in his quest to capture the beauty of the English countryside.
Held on Wednesday, May 16, 2018.

Collecting the Past: Pierpont Morgan and Ancient Mesopotamia

The ancient Mesopotamian cylinder seals in the collection of the Morgan are amongst the finest in the world. Sidney Babcock, Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Curator and Department Head, discusses cylinder seals. Held Monday, April 9, 2018.

Tennessee Williams and James Laughlin: Selected Letters

Join us for a conversation about the letters compiled for a new publication The Luck of Friendship: The Letters of Tennessee Williams and James Laughlin.
Held on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

Power and Grace: Ecumenical Rubens

In this lecture, David Freedberg, Pierre Matisse Professor of the History of Art at Columbia University and Director of the Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America, will demonstrate how the drawings in the exhibition Power and Grace: Drawings by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordaens reveal not just his artistic virtuosity, but his efforts to seek peace in his time.
Held on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

An Evening with Fran Lebowitz: On Peter Hujar

Fran Lebowitz speaks with Joel Smith, Richard L. Menschel Curator and Department Head of Photography. Held on Thursday, February 8, 2018.

Whatever Happened to the Ides of March?

Roger S. Wieck, Melvin R. Seiden Curator and Department Head of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts and curator of Now and Forever: The Art of Medieval Time, and Alexander Jones, Leon Levy Director of the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, discuss and illustrate Roman time and how it evolved in the medieval era. Held on Thursday, March 29, 2018.

Power and Grace: Drawings by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordeans

Join Ilona van Tuinen, curator of the exhibition Power and Grace: Drawings by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordaens, for a discussion of the spectacular works on display and the story behind the show. Held on Friday, January 19, 2018.

Henry David Thoreau: A Life

Join Laura Dassow Walls, author of the forthcoming Henry David Thoreau: A Life, for an illustrated presentation on the profound, inspiring complexity of Henry David Thoreau.

The Writer's Art: A Conversation with Jean Strouse & Colm Tóibín

Jean Strouse, biographer of Alice James, and Colm Tóibín, author of The Master, discuss Henry James’s relationship to the visual arts. Presented on Wednesday, June 28, 2017.

“Cospetto! Che bella cosa!” My what a beautiful thing: Boucher’s Triumph of Venus in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm

Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum, traces Boucher’s process in the elaboration of his masterpiece, examines the tradition of marine mythologies from Raphael to Poussin and beyond, and considers some of the textual and pictorial sources which may have inspired the painter. Presented on Wednesday, March 1, 2017.

Martin Luther and Anti-Semitism

A panel featuring Mark R. Silk, Trinity College, Hartford; Dean P. Bell, Spertus Institute, Chicago; and Martin Hauger, High Consistory of the Evangelical Church in Germany, discuss Martin Luther’s changing opinion on Jews as well as the impact of the Reformation on Christian-Jewish relations in the 16th century. Sunday, November 13, 2016.