Videos

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.