Spotlight Tour: What Artists Hide in Their Work, with Melinda Modisette ’25

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

Melinda Modisette ’25 will explore works that contain hidden elements, including a painting on top of a painting, a sculpture that once encapsulated precious objects, and another painting full of strange surprises. The stops on the tour are Vincent Van Gogh’s painting Three Pairs of Shoes (1886–87); the sculpture Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (Japan, Kamakura period, datable to about 1292); and Anthonie Palamedesz.’s painting A Merry Company in an Interior (1633).

Spotlight Tours offer a chance to explore the collections of the Harvard Art Museums through the eyes of a Harvard student. Free and open to the public, these tours start outside the museum shop on Saturdays and Sundays at 11am and 2pm. Drop in and join the conversation! And find out what the Student Guides are up to anytime on Instagram @harvardarthappens.

Please check in with museum staff at the Admissions desk in the Calderwood Courtyard to request to join the tour. Tours are limited to 18 people and are available on a first-come, first-served basis; no registration is required.

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

This program is supported by the Ho Family Student Guide Fund.

The Ho Family Student Guide Program at the Harvard Art Museums prepares students to develop original, research-based tours of the collections. Through their training, Student Guides gain knowledge of the collections and develop skills in critical thinking, visual analysis, public speaking, and leadership.

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.