“Painted in Landscapes”: States Morris Dyckman’s Dessert Service

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Led by Assistant Curator, Riley Richards, discover the artistry and symbolism of States Morris Dyckman’s remarkable dessert service in this focused program exploring its hand-painted landscape scenes. Part of Boscobel’s distinguished decorative arts collection, this service was directly informed by Dyckman’s tenure in England and his loyalist position during the American Revolution. Through thoughtful interpretation and fresh insights, viewers will gain a deeper appreciation of how landscapes not only adorned fine ceramics but also reflected ideals of taste, status, and connection to place. This program invites you to see one of Boscobel’s treasures in a new light, bridging legacy, history, and design.

Riley Richards is Boscobel’s Assistant Curator and a historian of American decorative arts and material culture. She supports the interpretation, care, and growth of Boscobel’s historic collection and period rooms. She graduated from Wesleyan University with a BA in Art History and is a graduate of the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture. Riley formerly served as the Tiffany & Co. Foundation Curatorial Intern in American Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she assisted with the exhibition Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore and Tiffany & Co. and curated rotations of design drawings from Louis C. Tiffany and Tiffany Studios. Riley’s current research interests revolve around the making, use, and meaning of nineteenth-century ceramics and glass in local communities.

This is a virtual-only event. A Zoom link for the lecture will be sent to participants upon registration. 

This event is part of a larger programming series to celebrate our ongoing exhibition, Scenic Vistas: Landscape as Culture in Early New York, now on view until November 16, 2025. Scenic Vistas is made possible thanks to generous loans from partnering museums and private collections as well as support from: