This course, presented by Kedra Kearis, associate curator of art and visual culture, and offered by the Barnes Foundation, is an introduction to early American painting from the colonial period through the 19th century. Examples will be drawn from Winterthur’s collection of paintings, prints, and wallpapers. What do these works tell us about the tensions and growing alliances between the newly independent United States and former ruler England and new ally France? We will consider examples like an early 1700s painting by Henrietta Dering Johnston, one of the first professional woman artists in the American colonies, and an 1857 painting by Thomas Waterman Wood that depicts a free Black professional in Baltimore on the eve of the Civil War. Throughout the course, we’ll discuss how the display of these artworks in Winterthur’s rooms and galleries influences their meaning. This lecture series takes place weekly through October 3. $220; Winterthur Members save 10% on registration fee. Email MembershipInfo@winterthur.org to receive the discount code.