Greenwich Library’s Signature Series is pleased to present John Hays, Deputy Chairman of Christie’s, in conversation with art historian Page Knox in the Library’s Berkley Theater on Thursday, September 22, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for the discussion “The State of American Art at Auction.” This event will take place both in-person and via livestream.
Some of the most significant changes in the art world over the past few decades have occurred in the field of American art and visual culture. Once more focused on ideas of Euro-American exceptionalism and artistic styles, today the interest and appreciation of American art have been transformed in terms of its definition and interpretation. Clearly visible in academia and museums across the country, a similar evolution is occurring in the auction house world.
John Hays is considered the premier auctioneer of Americana sales. His achievements include setting an auction record for an American portrait for his $21.3 million sale of the Revolutionary period portrait “George Washington at Princeton,” signed and dated by the artist Charles Willson Peale in 1779.
Hays received his B.A. in Art History from Kenyon College, and worked at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy before joining Christie’s in 1983, where he founded the Folk Art department. He frequently lectures and participates in museum and charity events, but he may be best recognized as a frequently featured appraiser on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow.
Greenwich resident Page Knox is an adjunct professor and core art history lecturer at New York’s Columbia University, the same school where she earned her doctorate in 2012. She works in a variety of capacities at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, giving public gallery talks and lectures in special exhibitions and well as the permanent collection, teaching classes at the museum (and over Zoom during the pandemic), and leading groups for Travel with the Met.
Registration using the Library’s online calendar is required for both the in-person and livestream options. A recording will be available on the Library’s YouTube channel approximately one week after the talk.
Greenwich Library’s Signature Series offers dynamic, exceptional public programming that engages the Greenwich community and region, featuring nationally recognized experts for timely analysis and conversations that promote an exchange of ideas. This series is made possible through the support of the Greenwich Library Board of Trustees and contributions by generous donors. For more information, please visit greenwichlibrary.org/signature.
For more information or questions about this event, please contact Kathy Cihi at [email protected].