What: Conference on JP Morgan: Mind of the Collector
Where: Hartford, CT (Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art)
When: 10-11 November 2017
J. Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913) spent over twenty years travelling the globe to amass the largest collection of art and cultural artifacts of his time. Estimated to have exceeded 20,000 works of art, Morgan’s collections represent a broad historical and geographic range of art and cultural artifacts. Acting on his father’s wishes, J.P. Morgan’s son, Jack, donated more than 1,350 works collected by his father to the
Wadsworth Atheneum in his native Hartford. In fall 2017, the Wadsworth Atheneum will mark the centennial anniversary of Morgan’s gift and its historical impact with an exhibition, Morgan: Mind of the Collector. The Wadsworth Atheneum will host an international symposium in conjunction with the exhibition to reexamine and showcase the latest research about Morgan’s collection and how he shaped the identity of the collector in the modern age.
PROGRAM
Friday, November 10, 2017
12:00–1:15: Welcome and Registration
1:15–1:45: Introduction: Neil Harris, University of Chicago Morgan the Collector
Session 1: Morgan and the Biblical Lands (chair, Steven Tinney, University of Pennsylvania)
1:45–2:15: Yelena Rakic, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Discovering the Ancient Near East
2:15–2:45: Lyle Humphrey, North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh: Morgan in Egypt
2:45–3:15: John Bidwell, Morgan Library & Museum, New York: Morgan’s Bibles
3:15–3:30: Discussion
3:30–3:45: Break
Session 2: The Romance of History (chair, Christine Brennan, Metropolitan Museum of Art)
3:45–4:15: Christine Brennan, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Morgan and Medieval Art
4:15–4:45: Roger Wieck, Morgan Library & Museum, New York: Morgan and Manuscripts
4:45–5:15: Discussion
5:15: Exhibition Viewing and Reception
6:30: Speakers Dinner
Saturday, November 11
Session 3: Building a Beautiful Life (chair, Colin Bailey, Director, Morgan Library & Museum)
10:00–10:30: Wolfram Koeppe, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York Gold and Garnets: A Love of Precious Objects
10:30–11:00: Linda Roth, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford: Prince’s Gate, London
11:00–11:30: Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: From Gilded Age Interior to Renaissance Palazzo: Morgan’s New York House
11:30–11:50: Discussion
12:00–1:00 Lunch
Session 4: The Politics of Collecting: The Global Network (chair, Inge Reist, Center for the History of Collecting at the Frick)
1:00–1:30: Catherine Scallen, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland: Turning to the Experts
1:30–2:00: Jennifer Tonkovich, Morgan Library & Museum, New York: Morgan’s experts and dealers in London and Europe
2:00–2:30: Barbara Pezzini, National Gallery, London: Collecting British Paintings
2:30–3:00 Discussion
3:00–3:15 Break
3:15: Session 5: Crafting a Legacy (chair, Jennifer Tonkovich, Morgan Library & Museum, New York)
3:15–3:45: Charlotte Vignon, Frick Collection, New York: Morgan and Duveen: The Formation and Dispersal of a Collection
3:45–4:15: Jo Briggs, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore: Morgan and His Fellow American Collectors
4:15–5:00: Discussion and Concluding Remarks
5:00–7:00: Reception and Exhibition Viewing
To register, contact faculty@wadsworthatheneum.org or call +1 860.838.4046
For more information, contact faculty@wadsworthatheneum.org or call +1 860.838.4060
Hotel Discounts are available for the attendees of the conference at the Hartford Marriott Downtown, 200 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103; tel: +1 860.249.8000