"Viewing 18th-century Venice with Canaletto and Casanova” a lecture by Frederick Ilchman, Chair of European Art, Museum of Fine Arts

The Nichols House Museum, located on historic Beacon Hill, is pleased to present a lecture by Frederick Ilchman, the Chair of the European Art Department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA). The lecture, Viewing 18th-century Venice with Canaletto and Casanova, will take place on Monday, November 9, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. at the New England Historic Genealogical Society at 99-101 Newbury Street, Boston. Admission is $15 for Nichols House Museum members and $20 for non-members. Please call the Nichols House Museum at 617.227.6993 for further information. Tickets are available online at nicholshousemuseum.org

Although well past its peak militarily and economically, Venice in the 18th century remained Europe’s splendid playground. Accounts of foreign travelers, particularly northern Europeans on the Grand Tour, describe operas, gambling, and courtesans in the spectacular setting of the lagoon city. Native sons of Venice, however, namely the painter Canaletto and the bon vivant Casanova, offer something even better: an insider’s view of this special city.

Frederick Ilchman is Chair, Art of Europe and Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of Paintings at the MFA. Ilchman joined the MFA in 2001 as Assistant Curator of Paintings. A specialist in the art of the Italian Renaissance, he has curated numerous exhibitions, organized international conferences, contributed to scholarly publications and lectured and taught in the United States and abroad.

The Nichols House is a historic house museum that offers visitors a unique glimpse of late 19th and early 20th century domestic life on Boston’s Beacon Hill and tells the story of the progressive Nichols family. Located at 55 Mount Vernon Street, the museum is currently open for tours Tuesday through Saturday, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.