Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the University of Maine at Presque Isle will host a special presentation about love and the way it has been portrayed in art from medieval to modern times as part of its Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE] programming.

UMPI President Linda Schott will present the talk, What’s Love Got to Do with It?: The Art (and Science) of Love on Monday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. in the Campus Center’s Allagash Room. This talk is free and open to the public.

During this 75-minute presentation and Q&A, Dr. Schott will discuss the portrayal of love in art throughout western European history, including the ways it has evolved (and stayed the same) over the centuries. Her presentation will include many examples of artwork ranging from the medieval to the contemporary—from Caravaggio’s Cupid Victorious to Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss to David Hockney’s Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy—and cover subtopics ranging from the ambiguity of love to love at first sight.

To bring in the scientific aspect of her subject, Dr. Schott will discuss Helen Fisher’s research on brains in love and philosopher Robert Solomon’s understanding of love.

President Schott has a Bachelor’s degree in History from Baylor University, a Master’s degree in History from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in History and Humanities from Stanford. She is a specialist in intellectual history and the history of women in the United States.

Dr. Schott has delivered a series of lectures on the art and science of love in several campus and community settings, right around Valentine’s Day.

The snow date for this talk is Thursday, Feb. 14, same time and location. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Mary Lawrence, SAGE coordinator, at 768-9502 or mary.l.lawrence@maine.edu.