Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe

This groundbreaking exhibition explores the wealth of European art to reveal the hidden presence of Africans in Renaissance society and the many roles they played. The portraits at the core of this show provide a window on an unsuspected facet of a society deeply impacted by the expanding worldview of the Age of Exploration.

Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe invites visitors to explore the roles of Africans and their descendants in Renaissance Europe as revealed in compelling paintings, drawings, sculpture and printed books of the period. Vivid portraits from life both encourage face-to-face encounters with the individuals themselves and pose questions about the challenges of color, class, and stereotypes that this new diversity brought to Europe. Despite the importance of the questions posed for audiences today, this is the first time they have been addressed in a major exhibition. Organized by the Walters, the exhibition opens in Baltimore on October 14 and at the Princeton University Art Museum in February 2013. It will feature about 75 works of art drawn from the Walters, major museums in the U.S. and Europe, and private collections.