'Triumph of Religion'
"Check out these lectures sponsored by
the Boston Public Library!"
New Interpretations of Sargent’s Murals
at Boston Public Library
John Singer Sargent’s mural cycle at the Central Library
in Copley Square, spanned twenty-nine years of the prolific artist’s career between 1890 and 1919.
A century after a public controversy around Sargent’s 1919 installation reached a peak in 1922, Boston Public Library gathered a group of conservators, historians, curators, and authors in May 2022 to revisit this significant project in Sargent’s life and to offer new interpretations
of the murals.
The talks make connections across local and international collections and resources to promote the further study and discussion of Sargent’s library works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbXGHv4_e9I
May 9, 2022 Meghan Weeks
Join BPL’s Curator of Interpretation for a virtual exploration of John Singer Sargent’s Triumph of Religion mural cycle at the Boston Public Library.
This introductory lecture will examine the evolution of the project over three decades between 1890 and 1919, and offer fresh insights into the visual study of these masterful murals on public display.
of John Sargent's Murals at the
Boston Public Library
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj0F0x2jzr8&t=8s
May 10, 2022 Gianfranco Pocobene and Kate Smith
In 2003-2004, the Straus Center for Conservation undertook the comprehensive conservation and restoration of the Sargent murals which also included in depth technical analysis of the artist's painting techniques.
This talk focuses on some of the more complex treatment issues that conservators faced during the fifteen-month project.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfMej2a_cw0
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Chloe Sharpe introduced by Richard Ormond
Sargent’s Madonna of Sorrows, installed in 1916, was the culmination of over twenty years of research into Spanish religious iconography for the Boston Library murals.
The painter’s fascination with the spiritual power and rich materiality of Spanish art led him to amass a significant collection of photographs of sculptures, which has only recently been rediscovered in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
This lecture explores the significance of these and other sources for interpreting the murals’ meanings.
More images of Sargent's mural panels at Boston Public Library are available at Digital Commonwealth.
and more videos!
The Uncanny Sargent: The View from Conservation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS52Nxdj2kI
Lecture: Richard Ormond on John Singer Sargent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOuD5oZZQf8&t=7s