Reading the Art World

In the 40th episode of our "Reading the Art World" podcast, Megan Fox Kelly speaks with the Guggenheim's Megan Fontanella, Curator of Modern Art and Provenance, about her beautifully researched book "Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World," published by Guggenheim Museum Publications, distributed by Artbook DAP.

Our conversation reveals the life and art of Gabriele Münter, a pioneering German Expressionist whose bold use of color and form helped define early modernism—yet whose place in art history has long been understated. Fontanella traces Münter's path from her early photographic work during travels in the United States (1898-1900) to her vibrant paintings that reimagined landscape, still life, and portraiture through radical simplification and expressive color.

We discuss Münter's role as cofounder of Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), the influential collective that included Vasily Kandinsky and other progressive artists who pushed the expressive potential of color and symbolic form. Fontanella shows how Münter developed her distinctive visual language—one that sought to "convey an essence" rather than imitate reality—offering a lyrical alternative to the pure abstraction that dominated much of early Modernism.

One of the most compelling parts of our conversation addresses Münter's actions during World War II, when she hid major works by herself and other Blue Rider artists in the basement of her home in Murnau, Germany, protecting them from Nazi confiscation. This act of quiet courage preserved a vital chapter of modern art history. Fontanella reflects on how women artists of Münter's generation have been systematically undervalued, and how recent scholarship is finally restoring Münter to her place in the modernist canon.

For anyone interested in German Expressionism, the recovery of women artists' legacies, or the collaborative networks that shaped the early 20th-century avant-garde, this episode offers essential insights into an artist whose vision continues to inspire—and whose work deserves far greater recognition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Megan Fontanella is Curator of Modern Art and Provenance at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. She is recognized as an expert in provenance research with a focus on World War II spoliation issues. Fontanella graduated from Dartmouth College with a BA in art history and received her MA from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, where she specialized in late 19th-century French art.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

"Gabriele Münter: Contours of a World" is on view at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, from November 7, 2025 through April 26, 2026. The exhibition presents over fifty paintings across three Tower galleries, alongside nineteen photographs Münter captured during her extended stay in the United States. Learn more here: https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/gabriele-munter

PURCHASE THE BOOK

https://www.guggenheimstore.org/gabriele-munter-contours-of-a-world

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"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market. They are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications.

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 39th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Susan Davidson, curator and art historian, about her landmark book "Tom Wesselmann: The Great American Nude," published by Gagosian and Almine Rech, in collaboration with the Estate of Tom Wesselmann. Distributed by Rizzoli International Publications, New York.

This conversation reveals the unexpected story behind one of Pop Art's most iconic series. Wesselmann arrived in New York with no art training and couldn't paint like his heroes—a limitation that forced him to invent something entirely new. Davidson traces how he built his visual language from found materials: candy wrappers, magazine clippings, working radios, even a leaf from his soup at Trader Vic's. "The Great American Nude" series (1961-73) emerged from a dream of red, white, and blue and evolved across one hundred works that blur high and low culture, representation and real objects, art history and American consumerism. 

Davidson discusses Wesselmann's strategic placement of Matisse and Modigliani reproductions within his compositions—asserting his place in their lineage—while revealing the personal dimension often missed: these paintings were his sustained tribute to Claire, his wife and inspiration. Drawing on Wesselmann's pseudonymous memoir and extensive estate archives, she shows how an artist with limited natural facility built both a distinctive body of work and a lasting position in art history.

Whether you're interested in Pop Art's origins, the 1960s cultural moment, or how limitation can drive innovation, this episode offers a fresh perspective on an artist who turned constraint into creative freedom.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Susan Davidson is an independent curator and scholar specializing in Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Pop Art, with particular expertise in Robert Rauschenberg's work. She served as Senior Curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (2002-2017), where she organized exhibitions including "Jackson Pollock: Exploring Alchemy" and "Robert Rauschenberg: A Retrospective." Previously, she was Collections Curator at The Menil Collection, Houston (1985-2002). Davidson holds advanced degrees in art history from the Courtauld Institute, London, and George Washington University.

PURCHASE THE BOOK 

https://gagosianshop.com/products/tom-wesselmann-the-great-american-nude-monograph 

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For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

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"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

Summer invites a different kind of attention — the kind that lets you sit with something longer, look more closely, and linger on a page. In this special episode of Reading the Art World, art advisor Megan Fox Kelly shares seven books that offer exactly that opportunity.

From the extraordinary untold story of Rose Valland’s resistance during WWII to the vivid experimentation of David Hockney, these titles span photography, memoir, biography, painting, and art history. Several are also linked to museum exhibitions currently on view in New York, Paris, and San Sebastián — offering a chance to pair reading with looking if you’re traveling this season.

This isn’t a list of books to toss in a beach bag — it’s a selection for the quieter moments of summer, when you can spend time with ideas that stay with you.

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS
00:40 - My Must-Read List
01:43 - “The Art Spy”
02:24 - “David Hockney”
03:02 - “Tina Barney: Family Ties”
03:49 - “Vermeer’s Love Letters”
04:31 - “Do Something: Coming of Age Amid the Glitter and Doom of '70s New York”
05:05 - “The Slip”
05:44 - “Irascible”

PURCHASE THESE BOOKS
“The Art Spy” by Michelle Young -
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-art-spy-michelle-young?variant=43046200836130

“David Hockney” by Norman Rosenthal -
https://www.thamesandhudsonusa.com/books/david-hockney-hardcover

“Tina Barney: Family Ties” by Quentin Bajac, James Welling, Sarah Meister -
https://aperture.org/books/tina-barney-family-ties/

“Vermeer’s Love Letters” by Robert Fucci -
https://shop.frick.org/vermeers-love-letters

“Do Something” by Guy Trebay -
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550904/do-something-by-guy-trebay/

“The Slip” by Prudence Peiffer -
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-slip-prudence-peiffer?variant=40991813337122

“Irascible” by Adrian Clark & Richard Calvocoressi -
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300282696/irascible/

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 37th episode of “Reading the Art World,” host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Ian Wardropper, author and former director of The Frick Collection, about his illuminating new book “The Fricks Collect: An American Family and the Evolution of Taste in the Gilded Age,” published by The Frick Collection in association with Rizzoli Electa.

Wardropper shares the fascinating story of Henry Clay Frick's evolution from a rough Pittsburgh businessman to one of America's most discerning collectors. Through careful research into the Frick archives, Wardropper shows how Frick spent his first twenty years collecting contemporary American art — learning to develop his eye and work with dealers — before making the leap to Old Master paintings at the highest level of the market.

Our conversation reveals Frick's distinctive approach to collecting: his relentless focus on quality over quantity, his willingness to edit and refine his holdings, and his vision for creating harmonious environments where great paintings lived alongside exceptional decorative arts. Wardropper also brings to light the crucial role of Helen Clay Frick, whose strong opinions and different tastes shaped the collection's growth after her father's death, including her establishment of the world-renowned Frick Art Research Library.

This episode provides essential insights for collectors, museum professionals, and anyone interested in how great collections are built and sustained across generations. Wardropper's deep understanding of both the Frick family's story and the institution's transformation offers a compelling look at American collecting at its finest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Ian Wardropper served as the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director of The Frick Collection for 14 years, leading the institution through its most transformative period, including the first comprehensive renovation in nearly 90 years and the innovative Frick Madison project. Previously, he held curatorial positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as Chairman of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts and at the Art Institute of Chicago for twenty years. A specialist in European decorative arts and sculpture, Wardropper oversaw ambitious exhibitions, a major capital campaign that raised $242 million, and pioneering digital initiatives including the acclaimed "Cocktails with a Curator" series. He holds a Ph.D. in art history from NYU and was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Minister of Culture.

PURCHASE THE BOOK
https://shop.frick.org/the-fricks-collect-an-american-family-and-the-evolution-of-taste-the-gilded-age-softcover

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For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 36th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Sarah Roberts, curator of the landmark exhibition "Amy Sherald: American Sublime," and editor of the accompanying catalog published by Yale University Press in association with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Roberts discusses Sherald's revolutionary portraiture approach — from her distinctive gray-scale skin tones that shift focus to her subjects' interior lives, to her deliberate use of clothing and settings as narrative devices. She shares insights on the "American sublime" concept in Sherald's work and her curatorial decisions integrating the iconic Michelle Obama and Breonna Taylor portraits within the larger context of the artist's practice.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in contemporary portraiture, the evolution of American figurative painting, and how art can challenge conventional narratives about representation and identity. Roberts' insights reveal why Sherald's quiet yet radical artistic vision offers a powerful reimagining of who deserves to be seen and celebrated in American art history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Sarah Roberts is Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Joan Mitchell Foundation where she oversees the Foundation's Artwork and Archival Collections and the Joan Mitchell Catalogue Raisonné project. Since 2004, she has served in progressive leadership roles in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the SFMOMA, and since 2020 as Andrew W. Mellon Curator and Head of Painting and Sculpture. A specialist in post-war American art, Roberts has organized significant exhibitions including major presentations of Robert Rauschenberg, Louise Bourgeois, Frank Bowling, and co-curated the Joan Mitchell retrospective that traveled internationally. Roberts holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Brown University, and has contributed to numerous publications on contemporary art.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
"Amy Sherald: American Sublime" is now on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York through August 3, 2025, following its run at SFMOMA. The exhibition will travel to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. (September 19, 2025 – February 22, 2026).

PURCHASE THE BOOK
https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300279382/amy-sherald/ 

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 35th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with influential art dealer Michael Findlay about his captivating memoir, "Portrait of the Art Dealer as a Young Man," published by Prestel.

This vibrant conversation takes listeners back to New York's electric downtown art scene of the 1960s and 70s, where Findlay directed one of SoHo's first galleries and launched exhibitions for artists now considered icons. With charm and wit, Findlay shares candid stories of his rise in the art world, recounting encounters with Andy Warhol, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and other creative forces that defined an era when appreciation for art outweighed its investment potential.

Moving beyond nostalgia, Findlay provides sharp insights into how the art world transformed from the experimental downtown scene to today's global market. Through vivid anecdotes about The Chelsea Hotel, Max's Kansas City, and Studio 54, he recreates a New York where creative experimentation flourished without today's commercial pressures.

Whether you're fascinated by cultural history, the evolution of the art market, or simply love a good story, Findlay's irreverent, honest perspective offers a fresh look at a pivotal moment when art dealers, artists, and collectors converged to create lasting cultural change.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
One of the earliest dealers in SoHo, Michael Findlay showcased artists including John Baldessari, Joseph Beuys, and Hannah Wilke. Named Head of Impressionist and Modern Paintings at Christie's in 1984, he later became its International Director of Fine Arts. Since 2000 he has been a director at Acquavella Galleries, New York, which in recent years has held major exhibitions of important Impressionist, modern, and contemporary masters. His other books include “The Value of Art" and “Seeing Slowly – Looking At Modern Art.”

PURCHASE THE BOOK
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746815/portrait-of-the-art-dealer-as-a-young-man-by-michael-findlay/ 

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Music by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 34th episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Sebastian Smee, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic for The Washington Post and author of "Paris in Ruins: Love, War, and the Birth of Impressionism,” published by W. W. Norton.

This fascinating conversation explores the violent political upheavals of 1870-71 Paris — the Siege of Paris and the Paris Commune — and how they influenced the Impressionist movement. Smee shares insights into the lives of the artists who survived these dramatic days, including Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Berthe Morisot, who were trapped in Paris; Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Frédéric Bazille, who joined regiments outside of the capital; and Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro, who fled the country just in time.

Through rigorous research into personal letters and historical documents, Smee illuminates the human context behind familiar masterpieces of light created during this dark period. He offers a fresh perspective on why the Impressionists, with their newfound sense of the fragility of life, turned toward transient subjects of modern life, leisure, fleeting moments and the impermanence of all things in the aftermath of such devastating events.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sebastian Smee is an art critic for The Washington Post and winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. His previous works include "The Art of Rivalry" and books on Mark Bradford and Lucian Freud. He was awarded the Rabkin Prize for art journalism in 2018 and was a MacDowell Fellow in 2021.

PURCHASE THE BOOK
https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006954

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

Join art advisor Megan Fox Kelly for a special holiday podcast episode.

The holiday season, with its whirlwind of glittering lights and celebratory clamor, also offers moments of quiet reflection—a perfect time for gifting books that open doors to new worlds. For art lovers, history buffs, and anyone captivated by beauty, these books are more than just pages—they are journeys. Whether it's an artist’s compelling story or a deep dive into the mysteries of painting itself, these selections promise to educate, entertain, and inspire long after the decorations are packed away.

To hear interviews with top authors of other great new art books, don’t miss an episode of “Reading the Art World."

SHOW NOTES
Episode Timestamps:
00:21 - Holiday Book Gift Guide
01:09 - Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment
02:00 - Surrealism
02:42 - Manet: A Model Family
03:22 - Amy Sherald: American Sublime
04:00 - The Art Front: The Defense of French Collections 1939-1945
04:37 - Paris in Ruins
05:10 - How Painting Happens (and why it matters)
05:44 - Picasso: Endlessly Drawing

PURCHASE THESE BOOKS
Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment: https://bit.ly/4fpOIQh
Surrealism: https://bit.ly/4i66E41
Manet: A Model Family: https://bit.ly/415vhaS
Amy Sherald: American Sublime: https://bit.ly/4g7ARy0
The Art Front: The Defense of French Collections 1939-1945: https://bit.ly/3ZcmaTg
Paris in Ruins: https://bit.ly/3ZqgGph
How Painting Happens (and why it matters): https://bit.ly/3ZqHhCG
Picasso: Endlessly Drawing: https://bit.ly/3B24Yb1

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new publications. 

Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 32nd episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Mary Morton, Curator and Head of the Department of French Paintings, and Kimberly Jones, Curator of 19th Century French Paintings at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Together, they discuss their work on the landmark exhibition, “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment,” and the accompanying exhibition catalogue.

The conversation centers on the daring spirit of the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874, a moment that saw artists defy the prestigious Paris Salon to showcase new ways of capturing modern life. Jones and Morton share insights into the forces behind Impressionism's revolutionary appeal, from the political and social upheavals in France to the transformation of Paris under Haussmannization. They explain how these changes inspired artists to redefine not only the subjects they painted but also how art itself was exhibited and experienced.

This exhibition and catalog shine a light on lesser-known figures who were critical to the movement’s evolution, challenging visitors to unlearn what they think they know about Impressionism. With its juxtapositions of Salon and Impressionist works, “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment” allows audiences to feel the radical nature of these pieces that once shocked critics but are now beloved worldwide.

“Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment”  is on view at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. through January 19, 2025. Learn more here:
https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2024/paris-1874-impressionist-moment.html

ABOUT THE CURATORS
Mary Morton has been curator and head of French paintings at the National Gallery of Art since 2010. She previously served as associate curator of paintings at the J. Paul Getty Museum (2004–2010) and associate curator of European art at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Houston (1998–2004). In 2018, Morton was awarded the Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by France's Ministry of Culture. Morton received her PhD from Brown University (1998), concentrating on 19th- and early 20th-century European painting. She also holds a BA in history from Stanford University (1987).

Kimberly A. Jones has been curator of nineteenth-century French paintings at the National Gallery of Art since 2016. A former museum fellow at the Musée national du château de Pau (1990–1991) and the Musée d'Orsay, Paris (1993–1994), she joined the curatorial staff of the National Gallery of Art in 1995 as assistant curator of French paintings. Jones holds a PhD and MA from the University of Maryland with specialization in 19th-century European and American art, as well as a dual degree in art history and studio art from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College).

PURCHASE THE BOOK:
https://shop.nga.gov/paris-1874-the-impressionist-moment

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:
For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a live interview and podcast series with leading art world authors hosted by art advisor Megan Fox Kelly. The conversations explore timely subjects in the world of art, design, architecture, artists and the art market, and are an opportunity to engage further with the minds behind these insightful new pub

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden

For the 31st episode of "Reading the Art World," host Megan Fox Kelly speaks with Diana Seave Greenwald, curator of the exhibition “Manet: A Model Family” at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and editor of the associated catalogue, published by Princeton University Press.

The exhibition and book offer a fascinating look at the personal life and family relationships that shaped one of art history's most influential painters. Greenwald, Curator of the Collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, reveals how Édouard Manet's complex family dynamics — including his relationship with his mother, his marriage to his brothers' piano teacher, and his role as godfather to her son — influenced his artistic development and provided him with willing models for his groundbreaking works.

Through contributions from multiple scholars, the book challenges traditional narratives about the artist, exploring how family support, both emotional and financial, enabled his artistic innovations. This thoughtful conversation coincides with the Gardner Museum's exhibition of the same name, offering listeners insight into how biographical research can deepen our understanding of great artists and their work. Whether you're an art history enthusiast or simply curious about the intersection of family life and artistic creation, this episode provides a fresh perspective on one of modernism's pivotal figures.

“Manet: A Model Family” is on view at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum through January 20, 2025. Learn more here: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/calendar/manet-model-family.

ABOUT DIANA SEAVE GREENWALD

Diana Seave Greenwald is an art historian and economic historian. An expert in 19th century American and French art, she is currently William & Lia Poorvu curator of the collection of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Prior to joining the Gardner, Diana was an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., working in the departments of American and British Paintings and Modern Prints and Drawings. She received a D.Phil. in History from the University of Oxford. Before doctoral study, Diana earned an M.Phil. in Economic and Social History from Oxford and a Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Columbia University.

PURCHASE THE BOOK:

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691260662/manet

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For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

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Music by Bob Golden

SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW AND HEAR INTERVIEWS:

For more information, visit meganfoxkelly.com, hear our past interviews, and subscribe at the bottom of our Of Interest page for new posts.

Follow us on Instagram: @meganfoxkelly

"Reading the Art World" is a podcast featuring live interviews with leading authors and writers on important new art books. Megan Fox Kelly is an art advisor and past President of the Association of Professional Art Advisors who works with collectors, estates and foundations.

Music composed by Bob Golden