Gallery Talk: The Beginnings of Art History at Harvard

This event requires registration; see further details below.

Join Jerry Cohn, curator emerita and former acting director of the Harvard Art Museums, for a deep dive into The Beginnings of Art History at Harvard, an installation celebrating the 150th anniversary of the establishment of Harvard’s Department of Fine Arts (now the Department of History of Art and Architecture)—the first art history department at any school in the United States. The works on view feature those who were instrumental in its founding, including a marble bust of lecturer Charles Eliot Norton. As a print specialist, Cohn will focus on works on paper in the installation.

The talk will end with a visit to the Art Study Center, to view additional related objects up close.

Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the program to allow sufficient time to check in at the Visitor Services desk in the Calderwood Courtyard, and be prepared to present a photo ID. All coats and bags must be placed in a locker before the program. Children age 14 and older are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.

Free admission, but registration is required. You can register by clicking on the event on this form, beginning on Sunday, October 13.

Led by:
Majorie B. Cohn, Carl A. Weyerhaeuser Curator of Prints, Emerita, Harvard Art Museums

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.