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EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR | “’A Great Moral Lesson’: the Restitution of Italy’s Stolen Art Treasures”
Presented by Susan Jaques
with Additional Commentary by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

Throughout his military campaigns, Napoleon Bonaparte systematically plundered art, with a preference for Italian paintings and antiquities.  After Napoleon’s defeat, the Duke of Wellington vowed to teach the French “a great moral lesson” by spearheading the restitution of stolen art at the Louvre.  Pope Pius VII, back in Rome after house arrest in France, dispatched sculptor Antonio Canova to Paris to negotiate the return of Italy’s cultural patrimony.  For months, Canova went head-to-head with the Louvre’s wily director, Dominique Vivant Denon.  “A Great Moral Lesson”: the Restitution of Italy’s Stolen Art Treasures” will highlight the battle that took place in Paris and the incredibly high stakes — from the ancient bronze horses of St. Mark’s and “Venus de’ Medici” to Raphael’s “Transfiguration” and Caravaggio’s “Deposition.” In the end, only about half of Italy’s looted art was returned. Masterpieces that remain in France to this day include Titian’s “The Crowning with Thorns,” Veronese’s “Wedding at Cana” and Perugino’s “Marriage of the Virgin.”

The webinar will include a 45-minute lecture followed by 15-minutes of Q&A.

Please note:

• Your participation is confirmed once you have purchased your ticket. You will receive the Zoom link to join the presentation circa 30 minutes before the start time.
• VIDEO RECORDING of the webinar will be available for unlimited streaming at your convenience for 7 days after the event.

Lecturer

Susan Jaques is an author specializing in art and architecture. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA.  Her books include The Caesar of Paris: Napoleon Bonaparte, Rome, and the Artistic Obsession that Shaped an Empire and The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia. She lives in Los Angeles, California where she’s a gallery docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum.