Peter John Brownlee To Discuss Morse’s ‘Gallery of the Louvre’ at Hyde Hall
SPRINGFIELD—Hyde Hall will welcome noted art historian Peter John Brownlee on Saturday, September 19 from 5-6:30 p.m. for a special lecture exploring what is considered one of the most remarkable paintings in American art history: Samuel F. B. Morse’s “Gallery of the Louvre.”
The painting has a particularly meaningful connection to Hyde Hall, organizers said. George Clarke, the builder of Hyde Hall, was the painting’s first purchaser, linking this celebrated work of 19th-century American art directly to the history of the Clarke family and the mansion.
Brownlee, author of “The Gallery of the Louvre: Samuel F. B. Morse’s Masterpiece,” will tell the story of the painting, its creation, its relationship to the development of American art and its extraordinary journey through history. The painting eventually experienced an almost unbelievable chapter in its story when it was rediscovered in the basement of a university, tucked behind a boiler, officials explained in a press release. After its rediscovery and subsequent restoration and recognition, the work ultimately sold for approximately $3 million to the Terra Foundation for American Art, where Brownlee worked as a curator.
“For Hyde Hall, the lecture offers more than an examination of an important American painting,” the press release reads. “It brings George Clarke’s own connection to the work back into the story, giving audiences an unusual opportunity to consider the tastes, interests and cultural ambitions of the man who created Hyde Hall.”
Painted in the 1830s, Morse’s “Gallery of the Louvre” depicts the artist’s imagined interior of the Louvre’s celebrated Salon Carré, filled with carefully rendered masterpieces. The painting reflects both Morse’s admiration for European art and his desire to demonstrate that American artists could master the traditions of European painting.
Brownlee’s presentation will reveal how a painting purchased by Hyde Hall’s founder could eventually disappear from view, survive decades in obscurity, and emerge as a major work valued in the millions—a remarkable journey that connects Hyde Hall, George Clarke, Samuel F. B. Morse, and the history of American art.
“’The Gallery of the Louvre’ has a story that is almost as remarkable as the painting itself,” said Jonathan Maney, executive director of Hyde Hall. “The fact that George Clarke was the first person to purchase this important work makes Peter John Brownlee’s lecture especially significant for Hyde Hall. It gives us another fascinating window into George Clarke and the world of art and culture in which he lived.”
Following the lecture, guests will have an opportunity to participate in a question and answer session and continue the conversation during a reception. Tickets, directions and additional information are available at www.hydehall.org.
