Join Jeffrey F. Hamburger, exhibition co-curator and the Kuno Francke Professor of German Art & Literature in the Department of the History of Art & Architecture at Harvard University, for a lecture to celebrate the opening of Imperial Splendor: The Art of the Book in the Holy Roman Empire, ca. 800–1500. No illustrated book from the fifteenth century is more famous than the so-called Nuremberg Chronicle, published in the same city in 1493, first in Latin, then in German. And of its 1,809 illustrations, none is better known than the two-page spread depicting the imperial city of Nuremberg itself. This lecture will take a close look at this famous view in the context of the artistic, civic, mercantile, religious, and political life of the city at the time it was made and against the backdrop of the earlier tradition of city views and illustrated chronicles.

The lecture will take place in the Morgan’s Gilder Lehrman Hall. In compliance with city guidelines, museum visitors 12 and older must show proof of at least one shot of a Covid-19 vaccine approved for emergency use by the FDA or the World Health Organization. Seating for this event will be at 75% capacity, click here for more information about our visitor guidelines and safety protocols.

The exhibition Imperial Splendor: The Art of the Book in the Holy Roman Empire, ca. 800–1500 will be open from 5:30 – 6:30 pm for program attendees.