Clockwise: "Watson and the Shark" by John Singleton Copley, 1778 (National Gallery of Art); Shaw Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens (Photo: Paul Glenshaw); Auguste Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: “150 Works of Art” (1996) by Valerie Fletcher); "The Railway", 1873 by Edouard Manet (National Gallery of Art)
Save when you purchase the Art + History: Evening Encores series!
If you’ve not experienced Paul Glenshaw’s daytime series Art + History, in which he examines great works of art in their historical context, now’s your chance. He reprises four of his most popular lectures in livestreamed evening programs through July and August. In each, he delves into the time of the artist, explores the present they inhabited, and what shaped their vision and creations, bringing the art and their creators to vivid life. Even if you’ve taken part in previous programs, you’ll find new insights in joining Glenshaw for another look at these timeless works.
Session Information
The Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin
In Rodin’s The Burghers of Calais, completed in 1889, six massive figures turn and twist among themselves. They are barefoot and clad in draping robes, chained, and hold massive keys. Their faces depict stages of courage, fear, despair, and resolution. Why did August Rodin take on the creation of a monument to these French town leaders, who offered themselves in sacrifice to the English King Edward III almost 550 years before? Who were the burghers and why did they give themselves over to die? How did Rodin produce such a departure from conventional memorials to national heroes?
Glenshaw leads a virtual visit to the cast of the memorial at the Hirshhorn Museum’s Sculpture Garden and travels back in time to the unveiling of Rodin’s epic and controversial sculpture, to the studio where he created it, and to 14th-century Calais and the moment of the burghers’ sacrifice.
Glenshaw is an artist, educator, author, and filmmaker with more than 30 years' experience working across disciplines in the arts, history, and sciences.
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
Additional Sessions
Patron Information
- If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
- Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
- Once registered, patrons should receive an automatic email confirmation from CustomerService@SmithsonianAssociates.org.
- Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
- View Common FAQs about our Streaming Programs on Zoom.
*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
