Number 47 – Summer 2011 NEWSLETTERAlumni INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS Contents From the Director . .3 A Foreign Student in Franco’s Spain . .4 The Year in Pictures . .6 Alumni Voices Crossing the Wall in Pursuit of Knowledge . .5 How I Fell From Grace (And You Can Too!) . 10 Atypical . 11 In Memoriam Leo Steinberg . 12 Françoise Weinmann . .13 Creighton Gilbert . 14 Awards for Summer 2010 . 15 Outside Fellowships . 15 PhDs for 2010 - 2011 . .17 Faculty Updates . .18 Alumni Updates . .22 Alumni Donors . 34 Published by the Alumni Association of the Institute of Fine Arts 1 AlNwsLtr11 mech1.indd 1 9/6/11 12:08:03 PM Institute of Fine Arts Alumni Association Officers: Board of Directors: Committees: President Term ending April 1, 2012 Grants Charles Little, chair Gertje Utley Jason Rosenfeld Miriam Basilio gutley@rcn .com Jason .rosenfeld@verizon .net Sabine Rewald Alison West Vice-President a .west .1@alumni .nyu .edu Walter S. Cook Lecture Alicia Lubowski-Jahn Beth Holman, editor Yvonne Elet Alicia1155@aol .com Term ending April 1, 2013 Susan Galassi Patrick Amsellem Pepe Karmel Treasurer Patrick .amsellem@nyu .edu Carol Krinsky Lisa Rotmil Yassana Croizat-Glazer Kathy Schwab lisarotmil@aol .com croizatglazer@nyu .edu Anita Moskowitz CAA Reunion Ex-Officio Term ending April 1, 2014 Mary Tavener Holmes Past Presidents Jennifer Perry Mary Tavener Holmes jpperrymason@gmail .com Nominating Committee Connie Lowenthal Sabine Rewald Robert Lubar, chair Ida e . Rubin Sabine .rewald@metmuseum .org History of the IFA Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt Marie Tanner Rebecca Rushfield,chair Gerrit l . Lansing marietanner@aol .com IFA Alumni Newsletter Phyllis Tuchman, editor Editor’s Note: It is with regret that in the Summer 2010 Alumni Newsletter the article on Professor Thomas Mathew’s Festschrift incorrectly spelled his last name and misquoted his graduation year, Professor Mathews graduated with a PhD in 1970 . His faculty update was also accidentally omitted . We apologize for these errors . 2 AlNwsLtr11 mech1.indd 2 9/6/11 12:08:05 PM From the Director Patricia Rubin both received University awards for twenty- a position that acknowledges the professional five years of service while Jonathan Brown and skill that so greatly benefited the IFa . Hope Colin Eisler each were honored with volumes comes to us from the Bogliasco Foundation, of essays by their grateful students and Linda which administers the Liguria Center for the Nochlin received a Bruce Museum Icon award . Arts and Humanities . Trained in art history and These are due tributes to our loyal and long- with a career in development associated with the serving colleagues, who are well known to all arts and education, Hope’s experience is a perfect of you . We have also been delighted to bring preparation to meet the challenges of fundraising new members to the IFA community, all of for the IFa . We are confident that you will enjoy whom have made valuable contributions to the meeting her and that the IFA’s Development life of the Institute over the course of the year, Office will go from strength to strength under including Robert Slifkin, professor of modern her direction . Marc Cincone, who was interim and contemporary art; Jennifer Raab, Andrew Director of Development, is to be thanked for W . Mellon Foundation postdoctoral fellow; his steadfast and good-humored stewardship of and Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, Honorary Fellow . the office, when he was doing at least one and a Rob’s promise as an emerging talent in the field half jobs on our behalf . During the past academic year we have was demonstrated this year by the award of the had occasion to reflect on our previous Phillips Prize for the manuscript of his book on Of course the newest of the new additions to the accomplishments, celebrate current Philip Guston, which will be published by the IFA’s roster are our 2011 graduates, the 35 MAs, achievements, and welcome new people and University of California Press in 2013 . Jennifer the five MAs with Advanced Certificates in the projects . The year opened with a party for the will come to the IFA in the autumn as the first Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 50th Anniversary of the Conservation Center – Andrew W . Mellon Foundation postdoctoral and the 20 PhDs . Our most recent alumni, when alumni from all over the world gathered fellow . A specialist in nineteenth-century these graduates have done exceptional work on to celebrate . Events included a conference American art with a PhD from Yale, she will the widest imaginable range of topics and have where presentations by different generations offer courses which will both complement and succeeded in meeting the rigorous and testing of graduates recalled the origins and growth of supplement our offerings in the areas of modern demands of their courses . We congratulate them the program, starting from its earliest days – a and contemporary art . We were delighted that with admiration for their attainments as students tumultuous beginning when typically strong Carol, an IFA alumna, accepted our invitation and with confidence in their future eminence – and independent-minded students helped to to be the first Honorary Fellow . The fellowship as IFA graduates – who have the model and the shape the bold, but still imperfectly formed, is intended to recognize outstanding figures in support of their predecessors – you, the alumni . venture . Individually and cumulatively, in art history, conservation, archaeology and the their current roles as leaders in the field, our visual arts . We are proud to claim her among This year, Alumni Association funding added alumni were impressive proof of its importance . our alumni and to reaffirm her association with further resources for our students, allowing for The Conservation Center looks forward to the IFa . special class trips with professors – memorable continuing its leadership and its guiding role; additions to the teaching program . Also, an in the spring, Michele Marincola convened This year we have added five new members to anonymous alumni donation has established a an international committee to identify and to the IFA Board of Trustees . We are proud that prize for best essays in decorative arts, intended discuss the major issues facing conservators alumnae Anne Ehrenkranz, Estrellita Brodsky to promote imaginative work in that field . and restorers, the attendant training needs, and and Anne Poulet have agreed to join the board, All of these contributions greatly enhance the specific place of the Institute in supplying and greatly pleased that Mark Fisch and Stephen the Institute’s activities and are an important, those needs . The support of major foundations Lash have also come onto our Board . They are moving way for your past experiences to for innovative programs – such as a newly all exceptionally distinguished in the realms contribute to the IFA’s future success . established certificate in Archive and Library of art, art history, and arts philanthropy and Conservation (sponsored by a grant from their advice and participation will be extremely For all their continued dedication and the Andrew W . Mellon Foundation) and a valuable to the IFA as we work to shape and to support, I want to express my most heartfelt summer school in technical art history for art secure our future . gratitude to the Alumni Association, its history teachers (supported by the Samuel H . officers and Association President Gertje Utley . Kress Foundation) – is further testimony to Another major appointment is our new Director Their efforts make possible the noteworthy the prestige of the Center, and the continued of Development, Hope O’Reilly . IFA alumna developments described in the previous generosity of students and alumni is a welcome Kathy Heins, who in her five years as Director paragraphs . But none of these projects and affirmation of its influence and inspiration . of Development did a terrific job in bringing fellowships would be possible without the order and system to our fundraising, left the generosity of you, our alumni . Thank you Institute faculty, students, and alumni have Institute in February to become Director of for playing a role in the education of our received numerous honors and awards this Development at the Steinhardt School of bright young professionals and the continued year –Jenni Rodda and Jonathan Alexander Culture, Education, and Human Development– success of the Institute of Fine Arts . 3 AlNwsLtr11 mech1.indd 3 9/6/11 12:08:06 PM A Foreign Student in Franco’s Spain JONATHAN BROWN In time and space, it seems such a long time which did their best to frustrate intruders, became the ultimate “decider” in all matters ago . In the late 1950s-early 1960s, Spain was fearful ( and with reason) that compromising concerning the field . His protégés found the virtually a third-world nation . Although the material might come to light . Mornings were a best jobs at a time when there were few to be Civil War had ended a generation earlier, the good time to work at the Biblioteca Nacional; had . The Prado was staffed with his disciples, dictatorship of Francisco Franco had served service was slow and at times haphazard . (You and only those who followed in his footsteps to cut off Spain from the rest of the western may remember the discovery in the 1970s of a could hope to obtain one of the scanty offerings world . Franco had constructed a police state Leonardo manuscript that had been mis-shelved of travel grants . He was the director of the to maintain his power and keep the citizenry for centuries .) After an intolerably long break most prestigious journal and its most prolific under control . Policemen were everywhere, for lunch, I headed for the Instituto Diego contributor . Many years later, I understood notably the grises, so-called for the long, Velázquez, located just behind the Palace Hotel .