Annual Henri Zerner Lecture: Dutch Art and Rewilding Art History

This event encourages but does not require registration; see further details below.

This program is sponsored by Harvard’s Department of History of Art and Architecture and the Harvard Art Museums and through the generosity of alumni and friends in establishing the Henri Zerner Lecture Fund.

How does one write a history of Dutch art from the perspective of Albany, New York, a region known as Beverwijck and Rensselaerswyck in the 17th century? Engaging with Indigenous histories, the presence of Afro-Atlantic perspectives, and the ongoing impact of Dutch architecture and material culture within the “Capital Region,” this lecture will narrate a history of Dutch art through beavers and bovines, fences and dams, forestry, potsherds, and land deeds. Caroline Fowler, of the Clark Art Institute, will draw on the concept of “rewilding” in nature conservation to ask about the possibilities of beholding a natural world distinct from the commodification of nature that began with 17th-century Dutch landscape painting, and the simultaneous extraction of resources from the Americas. By turning to the archaeological (woodland and urban) record, Fowler will consider what remains as a path toward rewilding perception.

Caroline Fowler is Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program at the Clark Art Institute. Her most recent book, Slavery and the Invention of Dutch Art (Duke University Press), examines the fundamental role of the transatlantic slave trade in the production and evolution of 17th-century Dutch art. She also co-edits the series Art/Work with Princeton University Press and occasionally hosts the podcast In the Foreground: Conversations on Art & Writing.

Speakers:
Caroline Fowler, Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program, Clark Art Institute

Free admission, but seating is limited and registration is encouraged. You can register by clicking on the event on this form, beginning Saturday, April 19, at 10am.

The lecture will take place in Menschel Hall, Lower Level. Doors will open for seating at 5:30pm from the Broadway entrance.

Limited complimentary parking is available in the Broadway Garage, 7 Felton Street, Cambridge.

The Harvard Art Museums offer free admission every day, Tuesday through Sunday. Please see the museum visit page to learn about our general policies for visiting the museums.

The Harvard Art Museums are committed to accessibility for all visitors. For anyone requiring accessibility accommodations for our programs, please contact us at am_register@harvard.edu at least 48 hours in advance. Please include the name and date of the program in the subject line of your email.