Kathleen Langone will present “Finding Amalia Kussner” at 7 p.m. Thursday. The lecture will be held at Whitlock Hall in St. John’s Episcopal Church, 212 S. Green St.
Langone, a distant relation of Kussner’s, knew little about her before beginning her research.
Amalia Kussner was a miniature portrait artist and a “darling” of the Gilded Age who became one of the most sought-after artists of that time. Amalia’s career included painting many of the premier families of New York, European and Russian royalty, and more. This program highlights how just one artifact can trigger amazing research about someone forgotten to history.
The talk will cover the full story of her life, starting with her early years in Terre Haute, her incredible rise to fame in New York in the 1890s, and her final years in Europe after 1900. Attendees will see images of a wide variety of her work, both from museums and a private collection.
This installment of the Dr. Howard Miller Lecture Series will complement the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum’s current annual exhibit, “This Just In: Recent Acquisitions at the Museum.” The exhibit, which is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in the Carriage House Interpretive Center free of charge, focuses on items recently acquired for the Museum’s collections.
Museum staff encourages visitors and lecture attendees to wear masks and maintain six feet social distancing.
For more information, contact Larry Paarlberg at 765-362-5769 or lpaarlberg@ben-hur.com.
