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Gallery Talk: Italy in the North—Maarten van Heemskerck, A Revolutionary Printmaker

A monochrome drawing of one man given water to another man with one arm and a crutch.
Maarten van Heemskerck, Giving Drink to the Thirsty, 1552. Brown ink over touches of black chalk and incidental white opaque watercolor, incised, on cream antique laid paper, framing line in brown ink over black chalk. Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Purchase through the generosity of an anonymous donor, 1994.155.

Gallery Talk

In-Person
Harvard Art Museums
32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA

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

Come discover the work of the leading Haarlem painter who represented the Italian Renaissance in the Northern Netherlands in the mid-16th century.

Maarten van Heemskerck’s artistic style was profoundly shaped by his extended stay in Italy (1532–36/37), where he drew copies of ancient sculpture and architecture and studied the works of Michelangelo and other significant artists. Upon returning to the Netherlands, Van Heemskerck spread his Italianate manner through the medium of prints and at the same time revolutionized Dutch printmaking by establishing a professional approach to the technique. Rather than engraving his own works, he provided detailed pen-and-ink designs to professional printmakers, who would faithfully reproduce his intricate compositions. This talk focuses on a new installation in Gallery 2300.

This gallery talk is part of our New on View series, highlighting recent gallery installations and presenting new insights into recent acquisitions or old favorites.

Led by:
Susanne Bartels, Stanley H. Durwood Foundation Curatorial Fellow, Division of European and American Art

Please check in with museum staff at the Visitor Services desk in the Calderwood Courtyard to request to join the gallery talk. Space is limited, and talks are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no registration is required.

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.