Videos

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.

Betye Saar: Call and Response

This exhibition, conceived in close consultation with the artist, looks at the relationship between Saar’s finished works and the preliminary annotated sketches she has made in small notebooks throughout her career.

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.

From the Vault: Running Eros, Holding a Torch

Jennifer Tonkovich, Eugene and Clare Thaw Curator, discusses Running Eros, Holding a Torch. Take a closer look at a bronze figure excavated in the 1890s from a Roman villa at Boscoreale, a retreat on the slopes of Vesuvius which was buried in the eruption of 79 AD.

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.

From the Vault: Lindau Gospels

Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum, discusses the Lindau Gospels, one of the great masterpieces from the collection. Named after the Abbey of Lindau on Lake Constance (Germany), where it was once housed, its jeweled covers constitute one of the most important of all medieval treasure bindings.

Celebrating the Morgan Book Project 2019–20

The Morgan Book Project is an annual extended-learning program open and free to New York City public school teachers who work with grades 3–12. Over the course of the school year, students learn about medieval illuminated manuscripts and have the opportunity to work with traditional art-making tools and materials in order to build a book of their own creation with the help of their teachers and Morgan Education Department staff.

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.

Carion Wind Quintet

The innovative Danish-Latvian wind ensemble performs works by composers from Liszt to Ligeti. Held Tuesday, February 25, 2020.

The George London Foundation Competition 2020 Winners

The George London Foundation for Singers offers substantial awards to outstanding young North American opera singers. Watch the George London Award-winning performances by 2020 honorees Katherine Beck, Lindsay Kate Brown, Jessica Fasolt, Anne Maguire, and Jana McIntyre. Lydia Brown, pianist. Held Friday, February 21, 2020.

Jean-Jacques Lequeu: Visionary Architect. Drawings from the Bibliothèque nationale de France

Some sixty of these works, the best of Lequeu’s several hundred drawings, are on view in Jean‐Jacques Lequeu: Visionary Architect, the first museum retrospective to bring significant public and scholarly attention to one of the most imaginative architects of the Enlightenment.

Restoration of J. Pierpont Morgan's Library: Landscape Design

We are pleased to reveal the plans of the new design of the landscape surrounding the J. Pierpont Morgan Library.

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.

Young Concert Artists: Hanzhi Wang and Omer Quartet

Hanzhi Wang, accordion and Omer Quartet. Held January 29, 2020.

Restoration of J. Pierpont Morgan's Library: Pigeon Abatement

In this video, John Pace, President of Birdmaster, discusses their work in developing a pigeon abatement system for our building.

Illusions of the Photographer: Duane Michals at the Morgan

Contemplative, confessional, and comedic, the art of Duane Michals exerts an appeal that transcends the conventional audience of photography. Since the early 1960s, Michals has worked past what he sees as the limitations of the camera: he writes in the margins of his prints, creates sequences of images that explore intangible human dilemmas (doubt, mortality, desire), and derives poetic effects from technical errors such as double exposure and motion blur.