Spotlight Tour: Human/Nature, with Luke Tan ’28

Luke Tan ’28 leads this conversational Spotlight Tour examining how people try to control and possess aspects of the natural world, and what those efforts reveal about the ways we value materials, relationships, and experiences. The tour focuses on three works: a Ming-dynasty Chinese jar decorated with fish and aquatic plants, Edgar Degas’s *Cotton Merchants in New Orleans* (1873), and Franz Marc’s *Grazing Horses IV* (1911).

Spotlight Tours are created and led by Harvard undergraduates from varied academic disciplines. Each student selects the works and develops a thematic, research-based interpretation of the Harvard Art Museums’ collections. The program is supported by the Ho Family Student Guide Fund, whose training program builds students’ skills in collection knowledge, critical thinking, visual analysis, public speaking, and leadership.

When: Sunday, November 8, 2026

Showtimes: 11:00am–11:50am

Tickets: Free

Venue: Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA

Format: In-person

How to join: Check in at the Visitor Services desk. Space is limited.

Meeting location: Spotlight Tours generally begin outside the museum shop; visitors should check in with Visitor Services for this event.

Run time: Approximately 45 minutes; this session is scheduled for 50 minutes.

Lineup: Luke Tan ’28

Works discussed: *Large, Broad-Shouldered Jar with Decoration of Fish and Aquatic Plants* from Ming dynasty China, Jiajing period (1522–66); Edgar Degas’s *Cotton Merchants in New Orleans* (1873); and Franz Marc’s *Grazing Horses IV* (1911).

Accessibility: To request accommodations, contact Visitor Services at am_register@harvard.edu or 617-495-9400. Additional accommodation information is available through the museums’ accessibility resources.

Note: Spotlight Tours are open to the public and typically take place on Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00am and 2:00pm. General museum-visit guidelines apply.