Videos

Collection in Focus: Martin Puryear's Prints

In January 2021, the Morgan acquired an exceptional group of twenty prints by Martin Puryear. Made between 2001 and 2014 at Paulson Bott Press, Berkeley, CA, they represent nearly all the prints Puryear made during the first fifteen years of the 21st century and include several of his most important works in this medium. Known primarily as a sculptor, Puryear is celebrated for the elegance and refinement of his largely handmade constructions.

Young Concert Artists: Randall Goosby, violin, and Zhu Wang, piano

The virtuosic violinist Randall Goosby and lyrical pianist Zhu Wang perform Maurice Ravel's Sonata No. 2 in G Major, M. 77, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson's Blue/s Forms for Solo Violin & Louisiana Blues Strut - A Cakewalk for Solo Violin, and Johannes Brahms's Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108. Recorded in Gilder Lehrman Hall. Held Wednesday, April 7, 2021.

The Classical and the Contemporary: Conversation with Jim Dine

 In conjunction with the exhibition Conversations in Drawing: Seven Centuries of Art from the Gray Collection, join us for a virtual conversation with Jim Dine, whose own work is featured in the show, discussing his drawing practice in relation to the history of Western art as represented in the exhibition by artists such as Veronese, Rubens, Ingres, Picasso, and Matisse. Held Wednesday, March 10, 2021.

Conversations in Drawing: Seven Centuries of Art from the Gray Collection

This exhibition celebrates the remarkable collection of drawings assembled by the collecting couple Richard Gray, one of America’s foremost art dealers, and art historian Mary L. Gray.

Young Concert Artists: Jonathan Swensen, cello, and Adam Golka, piano

Recorded in Gilder Lehrman Hall, the outstanding cellist Jonathan Swensen and pianist Adam Golka perform a wide-ranging program of Claude Debussy's Sonata for Cello and Piano in D minor, L. 135, Witold Lutosławski's Metamorphoses: Grave for Cello and Piano, and Sergei Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata in G minor, Op. 19.

Tracking Down Our Roots: A Conversation with Ishmael Reed

Join novelist, poet, and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Ishmael Reed for a conversation on the empowering role of art as a vehicle for reclaiming elements of African spirituality and culture.

Collection in Focus: Malick Sidibé

Malick Sidibé (1936–2016) opened his studio in Bamako, the capital city of Mali, around the time the nation gained independence following French colonial rule. His photographs show modern West African life and are often described as depicting postcolonial euphoria.

New Accessions | Keats in NY

On the two-hundredth anniversary of the death of the English poet John Keats , a newly-acquired set of collectible tea cards sets the Pforzheimer Collection’s Charles Cuykendall Carter on a tour of special places for Keats in New York.

Young Concert Artists: Maxim Lando, piano

Recorded in Gilder Lehrman Hall, the exuberant pianist Maxim Lando performs the rarely heard Jean Sibelius Piano Sonata in F Major, Op. 12 and Aram Khachaturian's Piano Sonata in E-flat Major. Held Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

Young Concert Artists: Do-Hyun Kim, piano

Join the captivating pianist Do-Hyun Kim in a specially recorded concert from Mixon Hall at Cleveland Institute of Music, featuring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332, Robert Schumann's Fantasiestüke, Op. 12, and Igor Stravinsky's Three Movements from ‘Petrushka.’ Held Thursday, January 28, 2021.

No Soft Nonsense: Presenting the Bold Anne Brontë

Join Christine Nelson, Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a fresh look at Anne Brontë (1820–1849), bold author and truth-teller, through the artifacts she left behind. Held Monday, November 23, 2020.

Poetry and Patronage: The Laubespine-Villeroy Library Rediscovered

Young, handsome, and highborn, Claude III de Laubespine lived in luxury after marrying an heiress and obtaining the favor of King Charles IX. His brilliant career at court was cut short in 1570, when he died at the age of 25. He left behind a splendid library, which was dispersed, and only recently have his books been identified and properly appreciated for their superb quality and fine bindings. Laubespine now ranks among the great collectors of the French Renaissance.

European Blockbooks: Print-on-Demand in the 15th Century

Based upon the collections of the Morgan Library & Museum, John T. McQuillen, Associate Curator of Printed Books & Bindings will present an introduction to the European blockbook, its history and production, and delve into the provenance of several of the copies in the Morgan's collection. Held  Wednesday, October 14, 2020.

David Hockney: Drawing from Life

David Hockney (b. 1937) is one of the most internationally respected and renowned artists alive today. This exhibition will be the first to focus on his portraits on paper and one of very few exhibitions to investigate his drawing practice. Featuring about 100 drawings, the exhibition will trace a trajectory from Hockney’s early works as a student, to his Ingres-like portraits of the 1970s, and his return to the sketchbooks in the early 2000s.

The Research Library Today: A Conversation with Dr. Carla Hayden and Dr. Colin B. Bailey

Join Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress, and Dr. Colin B. Bailey, Director of the Morgan Library & Museum, for a discussion about the genesis of their institutions' collections and current missions, the challenges of physical custodianship in a digital age, and the roles played by the different directors of each institution, notably the Morgan's inaugural director, the African-American librarian and scholar, Belle da Costa Greene.

Poetry and Patronage: The Laubespine-Villeroy Library Rediscovered

Join guest curator Isabelle de Conihout and John Bidwell, Astor Curator of Printed Books and Bindings, for a virtual guided tour of the exhibition Poetry and Patronage: The Laubespine-Villeroy Library Rediscovered featuring luxury bindings commissioned by the French courtier Claude III de Laubespine (1545–1570).

Reflecting on Rembrandt

A virtual symposium reflecting on the exhibitions and research of the 2019 Rembrandt anniversary year. Co-sponsored by The Leiden Collection and the Drawing Institute of the Morgan Library & Museum. Held Friday, October 30, 2020.

Where in the World is Jean-Jacques Lequeu?

In this lecture Meredith Martin, Associate Professor at New York University, will explore various ways that Lequeu’s corpus has been interpreted and has proven to be fruitful for scholars and architects over the past two centuries. Held Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

Young Concert Artists: Benjamin Baker, violin, and Daniel Lebhardt, piano

Join the talented young artists Benjamin Baker, violin, and Daniel Lebhardt, piano, in a specially recorded concert from The Menuhin Hall, London, featuring Beethoven's Sonata for Violin & Piano No. 10 in G major, Op. 96.

Into the Wild: Medieval Books of Beasts

Join Deirdre Jackson, Assistant Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, as she focuses on the Morgan's "Worksop Bestiary" (MS M.81), made in England around 1185, which contains vibrant images of over 100 creatures. Held Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Alfred Jarry: The Carnival of Being

Take part in a virtual walk-through of the Morgan's exhibition devoted to the extraordinary figure Alfred Jarry (1873–1907). Sheelagh Bevan, Andrew W. Mellon Associate Curator in Printed Books & Bindings, will guide viewers through the installation. Held Wednesday, July 22, 2020.

Renoir and the Nude

This lecture by Colin B. Bailey, Director, offers a brief survey of the various iterations of the nude in Renoir’s long career—from his student days at the École des Beaux-Arts, his earliest affiliation with Monet and the future Impressionists, and the “crisis years” of the 1880s, to the last decades of his life, in which the female nude became the dominant subject of his repertory.

Betye Saar: Call and Response

This exhibition, conceived in close consultation with the artist, looks at the relationship between Saar’s finished works and the preliminary annotated sketches she has made in small notebooks throughout her career.

Letter-writing is not dead! Part 2: Handwriting is Not Dead!

In this two-part videos series, self-proclaimed letter-writing enthusiast (and Mean Girls star) Rajiv Surendra guides us through the art of writing a letter and maintaining a handwritten correspondence. Using the Morgan's collection as inspiration, Rajiv celebrates the charm and power of the epistolary enterprise.

Letter-writing is not dead! Part 1: Tips and Inspiration

In this two-part videos series, self-proclaimed letter-writing enthusiast (and Mean Girls star) Rajiv Surendra guides us through the art of writing a letter and maintaining a handwritten correspondence.

Interstellar Isolation: Saint-Exupéry’s Drafts for The Little Prince

Join Christine Nelson, Drue Heinz Curator of Literary and Historical Manuscripts, for a look at Antoine de Saint-Euxpéry's working drafts for The Little Prince, a classic story that suggests how we can combat isolation by trusting in the imagination, acknowledging pain, and building meaningful connections—even in a time of physical distancing.

Inside the Morgan: The Entrance Hall and East Room

Join Jennifer Tonkovich, Eugene and Clare Thaw Curator of Drawings and Prints, as she explores the creation of the splendid interiors of J. Pierpont Morgan's Library.

From the Vault: Running Eros, Holding a Torch

Jennifer Tonkovich, Eugene and Clare Thaw Curator, discusses Running Eros, Holding a Torch. Take a closer look at a bronze figure excavated in the 1890s from a Roman villa at Boscoreale, a retreat on the slopes of Vesuvius which was buried in the eruption of 79 AD.

Rolling Stones: Looking at Ancient Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals

Sidney Babcock, Jeannette and Jonathan Rosen Curator and Department Head, Ancient Near Eastern Seals and Tablets, will first give an overview of the Morgan’s world renowned collection of seals and learn about their significance in history and art then he will show you how to use the museum's website to get a upclose perspective of the collection. Held Wednesday, July 29, 2020.

The History of a Medieval Masterpiece

Join Joshua O'Driscoll, Assistant Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts, for a virtual exploration of a 1,200-year-old book that forms the cornerstone of the renowned collection of illuminated manuscripts at the Morgan Library & Museum. Held Wednesday, July 1, 2020.