Celebrate America’s revolutionary spirit with a fresh look at the art of the 1700s. This special tour, led by historian Zara Anishanslin and TMA’s Director of Curatorial Affairs Anna O. Marley, explores how artists in both the American colonies and Britain captured—and shaped—ideas of identity, power, and independence. From early American portraits to British images of status and family, you’ll take a closer look at how art moved across the Atlantic and reflected a changing world.
Featured stops include works by Robert Feke, John Greenwood, and Sarah Kilby, as well as a unique 1800s pitcher celebrating George Washington. Zara and Anna bring years of shared research and curatorial experience to the conversation, offering stories that connect the artworks on view to the broader history of revolution. Guests will also have the option to pre-order Zara’s new book, The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution, through the TMA Store when registering.
After the tour stay for Zara’s lecture on her new book The Painter's Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists who Championed the American Revolution in the museum’s Little Theater.
There is no cost for this tour, but advanced registration is required, as spots are limited. If you have registered but can no longer attend, please notify the museum as soon as possible to allow others to participate.
Museum general admission and parking are always free.
Zara Anishanslin is Associate Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware. She is the author of the award-winning Portrait of a Woman in Silk: Hidden Histories of the British Atlantic World and has served as a historical consultant for the Philadelphia Museum of Art as well as “Hamilton: The Exhibition.”
Anna O. Marley Ph.D is Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Toledo Museum of Art. Marley is a scholar of art and material culture of the Americas and the British Atlantic world from the colonial era to 1945 and holds a B.A. in Art History from Vassar College, an M.A. in Museum Studies from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. from the University of Delaware. Before joining the Toledo Museum of Art in 2024 Marley was Chief of Curatorial Affairs and the Kenneth R. Woodcock Curator of Historical American Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA).
You may also like the following events from The Toledo Museum of Art:
- Next Friday, 18th July, 06:00 pm, Art + Music Date Night at TMA in Toledo
- Next Saturday, 19th July, 02:00 pm, From a Strange and Wondrous Place: The Paintings of Rachel Ruysch, Holland’s Greatest Woman Artist in Toledo
- This month, 26th July, 02:00 pm, The Painter's Fire: Author Talk and Book Signing in Toledo
Also check out other
Arts events in Toledo,
Exhibitions in Toledo,
Literary Art events in Toledo.
