Acclaimed biographer Annie Cohen-Solal tells the unlikely story of a boy, born in the Pale of Settlement, who immigrated to the United States at the age of ten and went on to become one of the defining American artists of the twentieth century. Digging into newly available archives, Cohen-Solal explores Rothko’s early Talmudic education and the traumas he encountered on both ends of his journey from Latvia to America—from memories of pogroms to more subtle forms of discrimination in the New World. She also talks about his commitment to social struggles and how he came to develop his distinctive style of painting. Annie Cohen-Solal is the author of numerous books, including Sartre, 1905-1980 and Leo and His Circle: The Life of Leo Castelli. Her talk coincides with the exhibition of Rothko’s Harvard Murals, which are on display at Harvard Art Museums until July 26, 2015.

$45 patron tickets are located in the front half of the theater and include admission to our post-event reception with the evening's speaker.