Into the Light presents 100 compelling and rarely seen watercolors by well-known and historically underrepresented American artists selected from the Harvard Art Museums’ deep and diverse holdings. Built over a period of more than 100 years with the purpose of studying and supporting contemporary practice, the collection embodies the museums’ long-term engagement with the art of the present. For generations of American artists, watercolor was a medium of innovation and experimentation, a challenging form of expression that allowed practitioners to let loose their imagination and reflect on process and perception. While the visual vocabulary of American watercolors changed dramatically over the century—from vibrant floral still lifes and radiant summer landscapes to surrealistic fantasies and immersive abstract works—the medium’s unique ability to capture light fascinated artists throughout.

Free Harvard ID holders (plus one guest)