Program Details
Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art - Opening Day Tour with Curatorial Research Associate
Saturday, April 12 | 4:00–5:00p.m. | Levis Gallery Entrance
Dive deep into the luscious paintings of Rachel Ruysch buzzing with life through a tour with Dr. Megan Reddicks Pignataro, Curatorial Research Associate in European Art.
Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art delves into the extraordinary life Ruysch led as a Dutch woman still life artist in the late 1600s and early 1700s across a near 60-year career. This exhibition considers the interconnected worlds of art and science at a moment when Dutch colonial trade and expansion brought back diverse plants and animal species to Amsterdam. Ruysch’s connection to this world through her father, a prominent surgeon and collector, gave her a unique opportunity to engage in these discussions. Additionally, the exhibition brings together in conversation paintings by Rachel and her lesser-known sister Anna, an under-researched artist in her own right.
On the opening day of the exhibition, Dr. Reddicks Pignataro will lead an exclusive tour that provides a deeper understanding of these extraordinary paintings and the woman behind the brush. Join us for this unique opportunity to engage with her remarkable paintings and life story.
Registration for this tour is required. If you have signed up and are no longer able to attend, please inform the museum at your earliest convenience.
Members will receive their discount on tickets at checkout based on membership level.
Megan Reddicks Pignataro earned her MA in Art History at the University of Toronto in 2011 and her PhD in Art History from Temple University in 2023. She is a specialist in art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque era, particularly Italy. Reddicks Pignataro worked as a research assistant at the Royal Ontario Museum from 2007-2011 before joining the Detroit Institute of Arts as Curatorial Assistant in European Art from 2011-2016. From 2020-2023, she held a National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship at the Detroit Institute of Arts for collections preservation of European sculpture and decorative arts. Reddicks Pignataro joined the TMA in January 2024 working with the Museum’s acclaimed collection of European paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, as well as prints and drawings from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century.