Lecture

Art and Arbitrage: Gold across the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages

Sarah M. Guérin

Associate Professor of Medieval Art, History of Art Department, University of Pennsylvania

Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, CA

Saturday, February 7, 2026, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

During the European Middle Ages, silver was more abundant for the northern shores of the Mediterranean, whereas coastal North Africa enjoyed easier access to gold via trans-Saharan trade. Each had something the other wanted, and sought to leverage the system to their own advantage. This differential led to rivalry, subterfuge and even war, with the Crusade to Tunis in 1270 being largely spurred and motivated by a thirst for gold. In addition to their use for exchange and coinage, gold and silver were artists’ materials, and their paucity or abundance profoundly shaped artistic practice. In this lecture, Guérin reveals how this valuable metal influenced both historical events and artistic production.

Advance tickets for members will be released on January 7.

For more information, visit https://www.nortonsimon.org/calendar/2026/winter-2026/Art-and-Arbitrage-Gold-across-the-Mediterranean-in-the-Middle-Ages-2-7-2026-500pm