Curating British Art: A Conversation with Olivier Meslay

To commence the symposium British Art 1750–1919: Reflections and Futures, Olivier Meslay (Hardymon Director of the Clark) and Caroline Fowler (Starr Director, Research and Academic Program) will discuss Meslay’s experience curating British art, and how the field of British art has changed since Meslay mounted one of the first exhibitions dedicated to British art at the Louvre Museum, Paris, in 1994, British Art in French Collections. A scholar of British art, Meslay brings his experience of working within both French and American institutions to consider how shifting ideas of borders, nationalism, art history, and exhibition trends have transformed not only the field of British art but also museum practice and exhibitions more widely.

Presented in person in the Clark auditorium. This event is free with a reception in the Manton Research Center Reading Room starting at 5 pm.

Image: John Constable, detail of Bow Fell and Langdale Pikes, 1806, watercolor and graphite, squared for transfer, on white laid paper. The Clark, gift of the Manton Art Foundation in memory of Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, 2007.8.56.