Curator Tour: Painters, Ports and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750–1850 at Yale Center for British Art

A special curator-led tour exploring art and global trade will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 4 pm to 4:45 pm at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06510.

The tour will be led by Laurel Peterson, assistant curator of prints and drawings, alongside Holly Shaffer, associate professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at Brown University. Together, they will highlight key works from the exhibition Painters, Ports and Profits: Artists and the East India Company, 1750–1850.

The exhibition examines the role of artists in documenting and shaping perceptions of global trade during the height of the British East India Company’s influence. Through paintings, prints, and related works, it explores the movement of people, goods, and ideas across continents, offering insight into the cultural and economic exchanges that defined the period.

During the tour, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the historical context behind the artworks and the complex relationship between art, commerce, and empire in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

For more information about the program and exhibition, visit britishart.yale.edu.