EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR | “The Mystery of Van Dyck and the Genoese House of Balbi”
Presented by Dr. Balbina Y. Hwang
with Additional Commentary by Dr. Rocky Ruggiero

In Gallery 42 at the Smithsonian’s National Gallery in D.C. is a majestic full-length portrait of a young Marchesa Balbi, who sits regally in green and gold brocade robes, gazing directly at the viewer with an imposing yet disarming warmth. Unidentified beyond her title, we know little about her other than that she was a member of the House of Balbi, a prominent family of the Genoese aristocracy, and that she was painted c. 1623 by Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), a Flemish artist of the Baroque period, perhaps best known as the leading painter of the English court. So how did Van Dyck of Flanders come to be a prolific artistic chronicler and portraitist of one of the most powerful and influential noble families in Genoa? What does this painting, and its companion portraits in Gallery 42 by Van Dyck and his Flemish compatriot Rubens, reveal about the intriguing link between two crucial port-cities of Europe at the time: Genoa and Antwerp; and the important role of patronage that noble houses such as the Balbi family played in the flourishing of arts and culture in Europe in the post-Renaissance era? Join us for this webinar that explores these connections and unravels the mystery surrounding this impressive painting’s origins, and reveals much about history of the magnificent city of Genoa.

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.

Dr. Balbina Hwang is Visiting Professor at Georgetown University, where she lectures on International Relations and Security, East Asian Affairs, and the International Political Economy. She is also AdjunctResearch Associate with IHS Markit.

Between 2007-2009, Dr. Hwang was appointed and served as Senior Special Advisor (to Assistant Secretary Christopher Hill, Bureau of East Asian Affairs) at the U.S. State Department. She was also a Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy (Seoul, Korea). Prior to joining the U.S. State Department, (2000-2007) she was the Senior Policy Analyst for Northeast Asia in the Asian Studies Center of The Heritage Foundation.

Dr. Hwang frequently lectures at military and diplomatic missions and their instructional institutions, as well as think tanks and other policy institutes around the world. She also advises global strategic risk managementfirms. Her previous teaching experiences have included: the National Defense University; the BushGraduate School of Government and Public Service (University of Texas A&M, D.C. campus), GeorgeWashington University, and American University. Dr. Hwang has testified before several U.S.Congressional Hearings as an expert witness on Asian affairs, and has contributed to numerousdocumentary series for national and international broadcasts. She is also a lecturer for the SmithsonianAssociates Program in Washington D.C.

Dr. Hwang is a frequent commentator for major international and national media outlets, including: CNN;BBC; PBS Lehrer News Hour; NPR; FOX; NBC; ABC; and CBS among others, and her writtencommentaries have appeared in publications such as: The Wall St. Journal; Washington Post; and NewYork Times, Janes Intelligence Review, and numerous other international media publications.

She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship (for doctoral dissertation field research) in South Korea) in 1998-1999, and has published numerous articles for scholarly journals and book chapters, for which she hasreceived several writing awards. Currently, she is completing two book manuscripts for publication: PlatonicParadox on the Peninsula: Korea’s: Divided Lines; and Tocqueville in Asia: Dilemmas of Democracy andModernization.

She is a member of NCNK (National Committee on North Korea) and Korean Overseas Women’sInternational Network (KOWIN); and was an elected Board Member of U.S. CSCAP (Council for Securityand Cooperation in the Asia Pacific). She has also recently achieved a Certificate in World Art History at theSmithsonian Institution.

A native of (South) Korea, Dr. Hwang earned: an MA and Ph.D. (in Government) from GeorgetownUniversity; an MIA (Masters of International Affairs) from Columbia University; an MBA from the DardenBusiness School at the University of Virginia; and a BA (in Philosophy and Government) from SmithCollege. She also spent one year matriculated at the University of Geneva, Switzerland.