Provided

"Head of a Man" (1580/1600) by Cristofani Roncalli (Il Pomarancio), from the exhibition "Drawn to Excellence" at the Johnson Museum.

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art is hosting two lectures in conjunction with the exhibition "Drawn to Excellence: Renaissance to Romantic Drawings from a Private Collection," on display through May 5.

Conservation expert Margaret Holben Ellis will describe how scientific advances like imaging technology can complement the traditional study of drawings in her lecture, "The Bionic Drawings Connoisseur, or How Scientific Tools Can Enhance Looking," March 28 at 5:15 p.m.

Ellis also will discuss materials and techniques in her talk. She is the Eugene Thaw Professor of Paper Conservation at New York University and director of the Thaw Conservation Center at the Morgan Library and Museum.

Linda Wolk-Simon will present "The Renaissance Workshop as an Accademia del disegno: Drawings by Raphael and his Followers," April 18 at 5:15 p.m.

Wolk-Simon will discuss the role of drawing in Raphael's workshop, and examine how he created a teaching academy that shaped the styles of his pupils and principal followers. She is the Charles W. Engelhard Curator and department head of drawings and prints at the Morgan Library and Museum.

Both lectures are free and open to the public and are funded by a grant from the Robert Lehman Foundation.

"Drawn to Excellence" features more than 80 works from the 16th to the 19th century, including high-quality master drawings by such artists as Carreggio and Delacroix and preparatory studies for major religious paintings and landscapes. The exhibition was organized by the Smith College Museum of Art and is supported at the Johnson Museum in part by a gift from Helen-Mae and Seymour R. Askin Jr. '47.