BOSTON (May 22, 2018)—In conjunction with Casanova’s Europe: Art, Pleasure, and Power in the 18th Century, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), presents a wide range of programming related to the exhibition. The Museum invites visitors to consider topics such as gender, feminism and identity politics in special programs with author Lindy West performer Obehi Janice, as well as a film series on selfless female heroes, drawing connections between Casanova’s world and contemporary society. Every Wednesday evening—when Museum admission is free—visitors will encounter drop-in activities such as 15-minute Spotlight Talks, public forums exploring contemporary issues, musical performances on period instruments, and Drawing in the Galleries. Additional events take a closer look at the art, culture and fashion of 18th-century Europe with MFA curators and experts.

“Collaborating with colleagues inside and outside the Museum, we’ve developed a robust schedule of public programming to enhance the exhibition experience. While celebrating beautiful art from 18th-century Europe, we can draw thought-provoking parallels between an earlier era and today,” said Katie Getchell, Chief Brand Officer and Deputy Director. “By using a contemporary lens to reflect on 18th-century societal matters—such as the interaction of power, sex, luxury, class and identity—we can engage in important discussions about a range of issues still facing society today.”

Special Events

The Witches Are Coming: The Politics of Romance in a #MeToo World

Thursday, August 16 ($35 for MFA members, $44 for nonmembers)

Ferociously witty and outspoken writer Lindy West, who is celebrated for her ability to tackle the knotted issues of pop culture, social justice and body image, kicks off the 2018–2019 season of the MFA’s Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Celebrity Lectures. West is the author of Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times.

Obehi Janice: Casanova

Friday, September 21 ($24 for MFA members, $30 for nonmembers)

The Nigerian-American performer and writer from Lowell, who focuses her work on the power of voice in identity politics, cultural exchange and testimony, hosts a live comedy and film installation responds to the themes of the exhibition. Janice is joined by her collaborator, Max Esposito.

Free Wednesday Evening Programs

July 11

Spotlight Talk: “A Pair of Candelabra”

Curator Thomas Michie leads an in-depth 15-minute talk on a pair of gilded bronze candelabra on view in the exhibition. The objects, recently acquired by the MFA, are masterpieces of sculpting, casting and gilding bronze that are fit for a palace.

July 18

Sound Bites: Nancy Lee Clark Concert Series
Handel + Haydn

Members of the Handel and Haydn Society’s orchestra and chorus host a performance in the exhibition, featuring music contemporaneous to the period of the Paris tableau.

Drawing in the Galleries

Visitors are invited to sketch from live clothed models, as well as objects in the exhibition. Drawing materials are provided.

July 25

The City Talks: Power

How can we redirect systems of power within Boston to support people of color? A panel of local thinkers, institutions, entrepreneurs, activists, city officials and artists hosts a discussion on the topic.

Spotlight Talk: “Pompadour and Patronage: The French Royal Mistress and Art”

Curatorial research fellow Courtney Harris leads a 15-minute talk on the portrait of Madame de Pompadour on view in the exhibition.

August 1

An Evening of Music on an 18th-Century French Harpsichord

Local musician John McKean hosts a performance in the exhibition, featuring a variety of musical pieces from the 18th century on the Museum’s French harpsichord (probably 1736), made by Henri Hemsch, Paris.

August 8

Spotlight Talk: “Casanova’s London after Dark”

Curator Thomas Michie leads a 15-minute talk on William Hogarth’s The Lady’s Last Stake, on view in the exhibition, which depicts a tense moment of high-stakes gambling.

August 15

Sound Bites: Nancy Lee Clark Concert Series
Handel + Haydn

Members of the Handel and Haydn Society’s orchestra and chorus host a performance in the exhibition, featuring music contemporaneous to the period of the Paris tableau.

August 22

The City Talks: Status

How can social media create agency within Boston’s communities? A panel of local thinkers, institutions, entrepreneurs, activists, city officials and artists hosts a discussion on the topic.

August 29

An Evening of Music on an 18th-Century French Harp

Local musician Nancy Hurrell hosts a performance in the exhibition, featuring a variety of musical pieces from the 18th century on the Museum’s French harp (about 1785), made by Godefroi Holtzman.

September 5

An Evening of Music on an 18th-Century French Harp

Local musician Nancy Hurrell hosts a performance in the exhibition, featuring a variety of musical pieces from the 18th century on the Museum’s French harp (about 1785), made by Godefroi Holtzman.

September 12

The City Talks: Wealth

How do we ensure long-term growth and prosperity are accessible to all Boston communities? A panel of local thinkers, institutions, entrepreneurs, activists, city officials and artists hosts a discussion on the topic.

September 19

Sound Bites: Nancy Lee Clark Concert Series
Handel + Haydn

Members of the Handel and Haydn Society’s orchestra and chorus host a performance in the exhibition, featuring music contemporaneous to the period of the Paris tableau.

September 26

Spotlight Talk: “Canaletto’s Venice”

Curator Frederick Ilchman leads a 15-minute talk on Canaletto’s Bacino di San Marco, on view in the exhibition.

October 3

Drawing in the Galleries

Visitors are invited to sketch from live clothed models, as well as objects in the exhibition. Drawing materials are provided.

Sunday Programs (Free with Museum Admission)

July 15

Artist Demonstration: Drawing from 18th-Century Fashion with Jay Calderin

With sketchpad in hand, Jay Calderin—founder of Boston Fashion Week and author of three books on fashion—demonstrates how the stunning clothes on view in the exhibition can be a source of inspiration in contemporary fashion design.

July 25

Casanova and the Colonies: Transatlantic Identities in the 18th Century

Curatorial research fellow Courtney Harris and Caroline Cole, Ellyn McColgan Assistant Curator, Art of the Americas, host a gallery talk exploring notions of identity in the 18th century through European and American works from the MFA’s collection.

August 5

Rules Are Made to Be Broken: Venetian Convent Life

Barbara Lynn-Davis, Wellesley College lecturer and author of the 2017 book Casanova’s Secret Wife leads a series of 15-minute talks on 18th-century convent life in Venice.

Artist Demonstration: Early Furniture Techniques and Carving with Philip Lowe

Philip Lowe—founder and director of The Furniture Institute of Massachusetts and award-winning master craftsman—demonstrates some of the techniques used to create the beauty and splendor of fine 18th-century European furniture.

September 16

Powerful Women in the Age of Casanova

Catherine Johnson-Roehr, interpretation planner for the exhibition, leads a series of 15-minute talks on two powerful women in Casanova’s time: Catherine the Great and Madame de Pompadour.

Film Series

Casanova’s Europe on Film

August 1–31

This MFA Film series digs deeper into the life and times of Casanova with stories of sex, power and revelry in 1700s Europe. From Kubrick’s classic Barry Lyndon (1975), to Federico Fellini’s sumptuous and surreal Casanova (1976), to Stephan Frears’ wickedly indulgent Dangerous Liaisons (1988) with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer, these stories explore the politics of 18th-century high society through complex characters who lie, cheat and sleep their way to the top.

Heroic

August 1–31

This MFA Film series celebrates stories of selfless female power, highlighting films about women and girls devoted to helping and inspiring others—from real-life dissenters like Ruth Bader Ginsburg to fictional champions like Princess Mononoke. The August 9 screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s 1984 sci-fi epic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is presented outdoors on the Huntington Avenue lawn, as part of the MFA’s free Sunset Cinema series.

Courses, Looking Together and Remix

“Casanova’s Europe” Course

Tuesdays, June 19–July 31, no session July 3 ($144 for MFA members, $180 for nonmembers)

A six-week course explores the art, culture and capitals of 18th-century Europe with exhibition curators and other experts. Topics include “Venice,” “Casanova in the Theater of Society,” “Women in the Age of Enlightenment,” “London,” “Dress in 18th-Century Europe” and “Spaces for Fantasy.”

Exploring Europe’s Great Cities: Venice, Paris and London

Wednesdays, July 11–25 ($96 for MFA members, $120 for nonmembers)

Curatorial research fellow Courtney Harris leads three “Looking Together” events, inviting visitors to step into three cosmopolitan centers of 18th-century Europe. Each session is dedicated to a city and looks at the fine and decorative arts associated with each culture. This three-part program offers insights into the exhibition’s tableaux featuring mannequins and period costumes—each set in one of these cities.

Remix: Wining and Dining in Casanova’s Italy

Thursday, July 26 ($60 for MFA members, $75 for nonmembers)

This program invites visitors to explore Italian art, culture and dining habits in the 18th-century by examining Venetian interiors, decorative arts and painting, as well as European silver and ceramic dining vessels. Following a visit to the exhibition with the curators, participants can quaff Italian wines from a variety of regions under the guidance of renowned wine expert Guy Davies.

Remix: “Who Tells Your Story:” Art, Power, Politics, and Hamilton

Thursdays, September 20 and October 4 ($12 for MFA members, $15 for nonmembers)

This program invites visitors to explore the art, power and politics of the Broadway musical Hamilton. Featuring historically significant artwork made during the period of the American Revolution and material featured in Casanova’s Europe, this Remix engages themes that emerged on the global stage of the 18th century—class, identity, access and the right to self-invent—revealing the spirited debates and struggles for power that took place at the inception of the U.S.

“Casanova’s Europe: Art, Pleasure, and Power in the 18th Century” is generously supported by an anonymous foundation. Additional support from Firestone and Parson, Inc., Susan G. Kohn and Phil Markell, Alexander M. Levine and Dr. Rosemarie D. Bria-Levine, Peter and Paula Lunder Family, Patricia Scangas and Matthew Dietel, and Arthur and Linda Schwartz. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), is recognized for the quality and scope of its collection, representing all cultures and time periods. The Museum has more than 140 galleries displaying its encyclopedic collection, which includes Art of the Americas; Art of Europe; Contemporary Art; Art of Asia; Art of Africa and Oceania; Art of the Ancient World; Prints and Drawings; Photography; Textile and Fashion Arts; and Musical Instruments. Open seven days a week, the MFA’s hours are Saturday through Tuesday, 10 am–5 pm; and Wednesday through Friday, 10 am–10 pm. Admission (which includes one repeat visit within 10 days) is $25 for adults and $23 for seniors and students age 18 and older, and includes entry to all galleries and special exhibitions. Admission is free for University Members and youths age 17 and younger. Wednesday nights after 4 pm admission is by voluntary contribution (suggested donation $25), while five Open Houses offer the opportunity to visit the Museum for free. The Museum’s mobile MFA Guide is available at ticket desks and the Sharf Visitor Center for $5, members; $6, non-members; and $4, youths. The Museum is closed on New Year’s Day, Patriots’ Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The MFA is located on the Avenue of the Arts at 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. For more information, call 617.267.9300, visit mfa.org or follow the MFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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