In 1923–24, Fogg Museum curator Langdon Warner led the First Fogg Expedition to China, returning with fragmentary artworks removed from the Mogao Caves in northwestern China. Today, the collection is filled with these and other materials that have been separated from their archaeological context. In this seminar, curator Sarah Laursen will share a selection of painting and sculptural fragments and lead a discussion about patronage, provenance, and the ethics of early collecting of Asian art at Harvard.

This talk is part of Gray Area, a new series that features members of our curatorial staff exploring artworks that capture the complexities of humanity, political landscapes, ethics, ideologies, power dynamics, and critical thinking in our times. Through this series, we hope to encourage people to observe and consider their own individual gray areas, and to think about how their unique experiences guide the choices they make. In the lead-up to the U.S. national election in November, we invite you to journey through the intersection of decision making, art, and civic engagement.

Led by:
Sarah Laursen, Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art