Wofford alum Robert Mayhew, assistant professor of foreign languages and fine arts from Wake Technical Community College, will give a lecture in Leonard Auditorium on March 14 at 6 p.m.

The talk is titled, “Seeking Seghers: The Case of a Lost Art Collection and its Afterlives.”

Mayhew will focus on a 17th-century painting currently hanging in the Richardson Center for the Arts. It is named “Allegory of Charity in Flower Garland,” sometimes called “Charity” for short, and the artist is unknown.

“I’m hoping to add some understanding to the artist and the time period in which it was created,” Mayhew said.

Mayhew will be discussing the historical, religious and economic aspects of the period to “create a lens into the 17th century.”

Baroque is a style of art from the 17th century and is characterized by dramatic, emotionally stirring images, Mayhew said. Religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants also serves as a backdrop for the time.

According to Mayhew, the Church of Carolus Borromeus was built in 17th century Antwerp. Mayhew said the church itself is interesting due to the role it played in the Counter-Reformation, as it was “meant to make a real statement.”

The Counter-Reformation was a Catholic response to the preceding Protestant Reformation.

When the Jesuits, who began the Church of Carolus Borromeus, were disbanded in the 18th century, the paintings in the church were auctioned off.

“Some went into royal, important collections and some went into unknown places,” Mayhew said. “I’m going to try to make the case that (‘Allegory of Charity in Flower Garland’) could have been one of (the paintings in the church), although further study will be required.”

Mayhew believes Daniel Seghers, an Antwerp painter who specialized in floral paintings, could have been the artist of “Charity.”

The painting intrigues Mayhew not because of its aesthetics, but because of the insight it provides. He enjoys explaining the significance of the painting and telling its interesting story.

“It’s a beautiful piece with very vivid color and beautiful brushstrokes,” Chapman Family Professor of Humanities Karen Goodchild said of “Charity.”

Other Baroque paintings, including four Rembrandts, will be discussed as well. Most of the paintings belong to Bob Jones University.

“All of the paintings discussed will be shown in slideshows, but the actual paintings will be kept in the Richardson Family Art Gallery,” Mayhew stated.

“The paintings were brought intentionally to Wofford because of a (Baroque art) class I’m teaching,” Goodchild said.

Her students have been working with the paintings for a semester-long assignment.

It was Goodchild and Wofford’s museum curator, Youmi Efurd, who invited Mayhew and worked to bring paintings from Bob Jones to be part of an exhibition called “Materiality and the Divine: Baroque art across Europe.”

“In terms of the Baroque, I think it’s a style period that students love; everybody loves it,” Goodchild said. “It’s very much a crowd pleaser.”

Goodchild’s students will be attending the lecture and potentially speak with him about their research papers.

“As they develop their research ideas and bibliographies, they’re going to be sharing information with him, and then they get to talk to him about the research on their paintings,” Goodchild said.

Both Mayhew and Goodchild are looking forward to the lecture, and Goodchild hopes students take an interest in coming to see the event as well.

“As an alumnus, it’s cool to come back and talk to students,” Mayhew said. “In a lot of ways, I’m doing exactly what I wanted to when I was 19 years old.”

Mayhew will make another visit on April 20 for a gallery talk on Baroque pieces in the Richardson Center. This event will be open to the public as well.

“The idea of gallery talks is for folks to be able to spend time with the artworks up-close and personal,” Mayhew said.

“You can come and have a glass of wine,” Goodchild said. “He’s going to talk about the pieces that are on display in a more informal way.”