Centuries before the term race came into popular use, people around the world used distinctions like language, dress, class, geography, and religion—in addition to traits like skin color or facial features—to categorize each other. Seeing Race Before Race explores these early expressions of race in medieval and early modern Europe between 1100 and 1800.
Seeing Race Before Race
Unidentified artist, Our Lady of Loreto, 17th-18th century, Oil on canvas, Collection of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.