Education & Enrichment Series | Early Art Collecting in Venice

EDUCATION & ENRICHMENT SERIES Early Art Collecting in Venice Presented by Dr. Frederick Ilchman Venice in the late 15th century was one of the largest cities in Europe and arguably the most sophisticated and cosmopolitan. The city teemed with artists and patrons. Not surprisingly, many of the features we take for granted in art collecting today—for example, the practice of connoisseurship, the gallery picture, the secondary market, and the illustrated collection catalogue—were first developed in Renaissance Venice. This lecture offers fascinating anecdotes of pioneering art collectors and their prized possessions in the Serenissima, a culture of competitive aesthetics that gave birth to the art market and art world of our time. Presented by Dr. Frederick Ilchman, Save Venice Chairman and Chair, Art of Europe at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. To join as a member or learn more about our educational programming, visit