Laura Auricchio, Professor of Art History at Parsons School of Design, penned an essay titled “Lafayette at Yorktown (1782): Transformations and Interpretations” for the exhibition catalogue of The Grolier Club’s “A True Friend of the Cause: Lafayette and the Anti-Slavery Movement.” In it she traced the portrait that appears on the catalogue cover featuring Lafayette and an enslaved man, James, who served as a spy in the Battle of Yorktown and whom Lafayette helped free, through variations, including the Lafayette sculpture in Prospect Park, and a silk scarf by Hermes.
The exhibit includes objects ranging from Lafayette’s sword decorated with a gilt liberty cap to his 1784 letter to George Washington urging him to join in an experiment in emancipation.
Laura will also participate in a related roundtable at The Grolier Club, “Lafayette and the Antislavery Movement,” moderated by the exhibition’s co-curators and featuring François Furstenberg (Johns Hopkins University), John Stauffer (Harvard University), and Laura Auricchio. January 24, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Reception to follow.
Exhibit details:
OPEN THROUGH FEBRUARY 4 in the GROUND FLOOR GALLERY:
“A True Friend of the Cause: Lafayette and the Anti-Slavery Movement”
Curated by Olga Anna Duhl and Diane Shaw.
The Grolier Club details:
GALLERY HOURS: Monday-Saturday, 10 am-5 pm. Note the exhibition will be closed on the following dates: Friday December 16, Saturday December 24, Saturday December 31, and Monday January 16.
