OLD MASTER PAINTING AND THE ART OF EMPATHY

November 3, 5, 7 - 5 p.m.

This three-part lecture series explores how the great painters of the Renaissance and Baroque eras used their art to cultivate empathy — the capacity to imagine, feel, and understand the inner lives of others. From sacred drama to quiet domestic scenes, these artists turned the painted image into a space of encounter: between the visible and invisible, self and other, past and present. Through close looks at masterpieces by a range of artists, we shall explore the ways in which they continue to speak to our shared humanity and invite us to become more attentive.

Lecture 1: Beholding the Feelings of Others 

This lecture examines how the rediscovery of the individual and the sacredness of human feeling shaped the art of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Lecture 2: The Drama of Compassion

This lecture explores how Baroque artists used light, gesture, and emotional intensity to turn sacred and secular stories into powerful exercises in compassion.

Lecture 3: Everyday Life and the Ethics of Attention

This lecture considers how artists transformed scenes of everyday existence into visual meditations on care, presence, and attention.

Structure: Each lecture is a live event via zoom: a brief check and introduction, to ensure that participants have been able to connect, followed by a slide-presentation of about 50-60 minutes, and a Q&A discussion of about 20-30 minutes. Participants do not have to sign up for a zoom account. The link to the lecture is sent on the day of the event.

Fee: 20 USD per lecture, per person/ 60 for the series