An American Vision: Henry Francis du Pont's Winterthur Museum

September 2012 - Wendy A. Cooper, Lois D. and Henry S. McNeil Senior Curator of Furniture, Winterthur Museum, University of Delaware. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library, 296 objects from the museum collection—including furniture, textiles, paintings, watercolors, ceramics, glass, needlework, and metalwork, all made or used in America between 1640 and 1860—were presented in the exhibition An American Vision: Henry Francis du Pontˈs Winterthur Museum, which was on view at the National Gallery of Art from May 5– to October 6, 2002. In this lecture recorded on June 9, 2002, exhibition curator Wendy A. Cooper gives an overview of the Winterthur estate, surrounding lands, and the evolution of Francis du Pont's collection before highlighting some of the standout pieces in the exhibition. This lecture touched on five thematic elements: Early Settlement and Sophistication; Passion for Rococo; East Meets West; Arts of the Pennsylvania Germans; and American Classicism.