Virtual Legacy Lecture: First Ladies in the National Portrait Gallery

What can portraits of the First Ladies tell us about power, gender, and representation in American art and history? This illustrated presentation will consider how the representation of these remarkable women changed across time and media. Join Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw as she presents research and insights gained from curating the exhibition “Every Eye Is Upon Me: First Ladies of the United States” for the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw is the Class of 1940 Bicentennial Term Associate Professor of History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania. She served as the Director of Research, Publications, and Scholarly Programs at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and has curated exhibitions for numerous institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Barnes Foundation, and the Addison Gallery of American Art.