European artists of the 17th through 19th centuries often depicted Black figures wearing pearl ornaments. The dialogue between racial and chromatic blackness paired visually with pearly luminescence resulted in a contrast that evoked notions of luxury, distant lands, and exoticized portrayals of Black bodies. Art historian and curator Adrienne Childs explores the complexities of the Black body that was subjugated and enslaved in one context yet used to showcase luxuries in another.

Michael Willrich, Leff Families Professor of History at Brandeis University, will present on his new book “American Anarchy: The Epic Struggle between Immigrant Radicals and the US Government at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century.”

Please join us for a panel of distinguished private collectors and print curators for lively conversation with about their interests, expertise, and adventures in building their collections of eighteenth and early nineteenth-century British caricature and satiric prints.

Richard Deming, Senior Lecturer in English and Director of Creative Writing, will discuss his new book “This Exquisite Loneliness: What Loners, Outcasts, and the Misunderstood Can Teach Us About Creativity” with Karin Roffman, Associate Director of Public Humanities.