Gold in America: Artistry, Memory, Power

For millennia, gold’s warm glow, resistance to corrosion, and rarity have made it a preferred material for objects meant to convey prestige, authority, or devotion. Drawing on the Yale University Art Gallery’s extraordinary holdings of American gold and augmented by paintings, photographs, and other works of art, Gold in America: Artistry, Memory, Power is the first exhibition since 1963 to survey the role of gold in American art and culture. In this live virtual lecture, John Stuart Gordon, the Benjamin Attmore Hewitt Curator of American Decorative Arts, showcases highlights from the exhibition and shares exciting new research. Stephanie Wiles, the Henry J. Heinz II Director of the Yale University Art Gallery, moderates questions from the audiences. With over 70 examples of gold and related material spanning more than 400 years, Gold in America demonstrates our nation’s longtime fascination with this gleaming metal. Generously sponsored by the Martin A. Ryerson Lectureship Fund.