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Member Book Club—Falling Rocket: James Whistler, John Ruskin, and the Battle for Modern Art
Member Lecture and Book Club events are available exclusively to Museum Members. Join today!
Join Amy Torbert, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Associate Curator of American Art, for a riveting look at one of the most explosive moments in art criticism—and the painting that set it off.
Inspired by the book The Falling Rocket: James Whistler, John Ruskin, and the Battle for Modern Art, this lecture delves into the scandal that erupted when critic John Ruskin accused Whistler of “flinging a pot of paint in the public’s face.” Torbert unpacks the lawsuit that followed, the painting at its center, and what it all reveals about the shifting meanings of art, beauty, and value in the modern age. Explore how a single brushstroke sparked a cultural firestorm—and changed the course of art history.
Books may be purchased through the Museum Shop. Members save 10 percent!
Amy Torbert, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Associate Curator of American Art
Ticket information
When available advance tickets can be reserved in person or through MetroTix using your Member ticket code. All tickets reserved through MetroTix incur a service charge; the service charge is waived for tickets reserved at the Museum. For your ticket code or more information, visit slam.org/MemberLectures.
What is the Member Lecture Series?
Member Lectures are exclusive, live, in-person events held in the Museum’s Farrell Auditorium. Members enjoy a deeper look at the fascinating changes and ongoing scholarship by the Museum’s curators and researchers. Learn more here.
After Hours Event Entry
This event occurs after the Museum closes to the public at 5 pm. The Museum will reopen for event attendees at 5:30 pm.
Please enter through the East Building entrance or the parking garage at 5:30 pm.
