Monthly Programs

Map published by Paolo Forlani, 1565

Most months a member will give a presentation, discussing a current work in progress, the research and writing process, or an area of personal interest and expertise. A collegial Q&A ensues, and the speaker can, if they wish, ask for suggestions for improvement in case they will be giving the talk at other venues. These programs are usually held at 2:00 PM on the third Sunday of the month, except for December; exceptions can be made as necessary. A digital projector and screen are available. Another member volunteers to take notes and write a report for the newsletter, or the speaker may provide a synopsis instead.

We try to have a speaker each month, though this is not always possible. Ideally, we schedule the programs as far in advance as possible. Members who are interested in giving a talk or other program (such as a film or exhibit tour) should email president@tihs.org.

 

Next Monthly Program

Sunday, February 22,  2:00 pm, Monthly Program, via Zoom.

George Daniel de Monfreid: Post-Impressionist Trailblazer & Gauguin's Best Friend

A Talk by Laure Latham
The French artist George Daniel de Monfreid (1856-1929) broke from mainstream impressionism early on, becoming a leading voice of the post-impressionist movement in his country. Monfreid befriended artists such as Degas, Maillol, and Redon, feeding his own hunger for creation with revolutionary ideas on color and light. When kindred spirit Paul Gauguin moved to the South Pacific, Monfreid became his constant and essential link with the European art world. After Gauguin's tragic death in 1902, Monfreid strove ceaselessly to celebrate the legacy of the friend he called "the Savage." In another split from mainstream art, which considered regionalism inferior to Parisianism, Monfreid also created a modern art movement in Roussillon, French Catalonia.
Institute member Laure Latham is a London writer, adventurer, and startup founder. She graduated from Sorbonne and Paris Dauphine universities to become a corporate lawyer, and then moved to San Francisco, where she wrote about the outdoors. Laure is Monfreid's great-great-granddaughter, and she co-authored with her father the first biography of their ancestor, George Daniel de Monfreid: Artiste et confident de Gauguin (2017). The second edition is scheduled to be published in connection with a major Monfreid retrospective this year at the museum of Perpignan in southern France. She also wrote Best Hikes with Kids: San Francisco Bay Area (2011) and is working on a novel set in 1839 Northern California.
We are always looking for speakers for Monthly Programs; please consider sharing your interests, research and writing with your colleagues, promoting discussion and, perhaps, getting their feedback on your work. Contact: Louis Trager.
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