the Hebrew Settlement House. He entered Columbia College in 1920 at the Meyer age of 16, having won both Pulitzer and New York State Regents Scholarships, Schapiro, and received his A.B. in 1924. Five years later he submitted his dissertation for the Ph.D., the first in fine arts and 1904-1996 archaeology awarded by Columbia. "The Romanesque Sculpture of Moissac/' parts of which were pub­ lished in the Art Bulletin of 1931, opened an entirely new critical perspective on Romanesque art; recognizing its creative and expressive imperatives, Schapiro's With the death of Meyer Schapiro in March study articulated the aesthetic quality of 1996, the art world lost one of its most that art as well as situating it historically eloquent speakers and acute minds. The and culturally with new precision. College Art Association salutes its member Supported by a grant from the Carnegie of the longest standing (continuously since Corporation, he traveled widely in 1926), recipient of the 1994 CAA Special Europe and the Near East in 1926-27, Award for Lifetime Achievement. Meyer Schapiro leaving behind a trail of anecdotal s Following are tributes to Professor legends that continued to be recounted Schapiro from two who knew him well: long after by those who met the brilliant David Rosalld, Meyer Schapiro Professor of young graduate student-induding May/June 1996 Art Histonj, Columbia University, and Leo power of impressing a work with Bernard Berenson, who compared the College Art Association Steinberg, who delivered this tribute at feeling and the qualities of thought that eloquence of the livery handsome 275 Seventh A venue Yaddo's 1995 fall benefit, "Yaddo Varia­ gives humanity to art." Informing his youth" to Solomon himself. New York, New York 10001 tions," in November. own life and work, these were the Schapiro began his teaching career values that enabled him to give such at Columbia in 1928 as a lecturer and expressive voice to so much of the art of rose through the professorial ranks, Board of Directors David Rosand on the past and of the present, to articulate becoming full professor in 1952; he was Leslie King-Hammond, President Meyer Schapiro the passions of eighth-century named University Professor in 1965 and John R Clarke, Vice-Presidel1t Meyer Schapiro, University Professor Northum-brian manuscript illuminators University Professor Emeritils in 1973. Nancy Macko, Secretary Emeritus at Columbia University, died and Romanesque stone carvers as well Throughout his career, he moved John W. Hyland, Jr., Treasurer at home in New York City on Sunday, as of the most creative painters of our between the university campus on Barbara Hoffman, Esq., Counsel March 3, at the age of 91. With his own century. Schapiro's range as an art Susan Ball, Executive Director Morningside Heights and his horne death, the world of art has lost a historian was universal, for he believed neighborhood of Greenwich Village. Ellen T. Baird Arturo Lindsay legendary figure, one who spoke most in the universality of art. Lecturing as well at the New School for Judith K. Brodsky Victor Margolin eloquently for all that was best in our Meyer Schapiro was born Septem­ Social Research from 1936 to 1952, he Diane Burko John Hallmark Neff field. ber 23, 1904, in Siauliai, Lithuania, and. reached the larger community of the R. Bradford Collins Beatrice Rehl "The humanity of art lies in the emigrated to the United States with his New York art world, especially the Whitney Davis Rita Robillard artist and not simply in what he family when he was three. He grew up artists, in the years when New York was Vishakha Desai Norie Sato represents," Schapiro had declared in in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Jonathan Fineberg Roger Shimomura becoming the most dynamic center of his lectures on abstract art. "It is the where he was first exposed to art in Shifra M. Goldman Lowery Stokes Sims contemporary art. And he brought the painter's constructive activity, his evening classes taught by John Sloan at Susan L. Huntington Jeffrey Chipps Smith CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Michi Itami Nancy J. Troy Christine Kondoleon Alan Wallach Irving Lavin Deborah Willis Joe Lewis • students' knowledge of such subjects as Meyer Schapiro his importance to the young Motherwell, (1966-67) and as Slade Professor at mythology isn't what it used to be .. , ' Contents CAAin CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 his decisive role in rescuing de Oxford (1968). "It only seemed as though all 34 Kooning's Woman I, his championing of Meyer Schapiro represented the Volume 2/, NU/I1her 3 volumes of The Dictionary of Art (Grove's younger painters, His own deep very best of American art history to the May/Julie 1996 the News Dictionaries) were on display at a engagement of the art, and life, around world; he brought to the discipline an cocktail party held during the art­ him informed his critical method; his originality of vision founded on pro­ artists uptown; auditing and participat­ association meeting to celebrate the commitment to modern art enabled him found learning and the keenest sensibil­ Meyer Schapiro, ing in his classes at Columbia, their reference work's launch. Or near-launch, to discern the creative qualities of much ity. He was a scholar's scholar, but 1904-1996 presence in his classroom seemed to 1 to be more exact. ' .. early and distant art. And that stands as among scholars he was a poet validate his wisdom. At the other end of "Prepublication copies of two one of the profoundest lessons of his Schapiro'S range were the mathemati­ CAA in the News volumes were set up on a long hors example, 2 cians, scientists, and philosophers, in d' oeuvres table, But browsers were In 1978 the Meyer Schapiro Profes­ whose worlds he moved with equal Leo Steinberg on Hot Type fooled into thinking that all 34 were sorship in Art History was established at confidence and, importantly, enthusi­ Meyer Schapiro 4 And the Nominees Are, , . "At their most recent meetings, the there by a row of bound green volumes Columbia, A major part of the endow­ asm. Each generation needs a few men and American Historical Association and the that turned out to be hollow when lifted ment carne from the sale of a portfolio. of During the 1930s Schapiro's was an women to whom anecdotes may be College Art Association honored ?o~ks for inspection. , , . prints created specially for the occa­ Annual Conference Update important voice of moral balance in the attached-stories that can rarely be 5 by literary scholars. The art assoCIahon "Taking your manuscript to an sion-by Stanley William Hayter, Paul cultural debates of the political left. verified, but that serve to build charac­ honored Picture Theory: Essays on editor before submitting it to a univer­ jenkins, jasper johns, Ellsworth Kelly, 1998 Annual Conference: Call Although he demonstrated with new ter, retroactively. Ve'rbal and Visual Representation, by sity press is more and more common Alexander Liberman, Andre Masson, for Session Proposals insight and undogmatic focus the social I once heard this story about a 6 W. j. T. Mitchell of the University of among art historians, said Virginia Robert Motherwell, Claes Oldenburg, bases of art, he insisted on recognizing lectur~ given by George Bernard Shaw Chicago, as a distinguished book in art Wageman, publications manager for the Robert Rauschenberg, Saul Steinberg, history. 'I think this is the first time the "its own conditions which distinguish it on the subject of Herbert Spencer and CAANews rCollege] art association. Scholars who Frank Stella, Andy Warhol-perhaps the 9 from other activities." Even as he avidly Hilaire Belloc, As soon as the lecture was CAA has given a top prize to someone. hire a free-lance editor 'have a better most telling indication of the scholar's pursued knowledge-of history, culture, over, a man in the audience shot up and From the Executive who isn't even a member,' [Mitchell] chance of having their work accepted,' special relationship to the creative world called out indignantly, "Mr. Shaw, I do Director's Office says, 'I think it's remarkable ~nd a sign she said, 'I get calls all the time for languages-Schapiro remained an artist. of the studio. 11 He talked about pictures as an artist. His believe you never read Bellod" The of good health in the profeSSIOnal referrals. "' It is often said that Schapiro never criticism was an act of re-creation, as he speaker shot back: "You're wrong, sir; associations, that they are willing to look -Chronicle of Higher Education, March published the single magnum opus to lovingly reconstructed decisions made it's Spencer I haven't read./I City College M.F.A. Program at stuff that comes from left field. "' 15, 1996 stand as eternal testimony to his 12 by the painter on the canvas; every Marvelous! But did it happen? Or -Chronicle of Higher Education, AprilS, achievement, but that could hardly have stroke demanded attention. Choice was did Shaw invent his comeback belatedly, 1996 been the goal of a scholar in perpetual CAA Standards for the important, that freedom of the indi­ wishing he had said it on cue-and then search of "the principles of form M.F,A. Degree in Visual Arts vidual responding to the world around circulate the story as fact? We'll never 13 [In 1987, CAA gave its Alfred H. Barr, construction and expression" and so him and to the challenge of his own know, Jr" Award for Museum Scholarship to aware of the elusiveness of "a unified creation, In the anonymous art of the But twice in my life I was able to Solo Exhibitions by Artist Members jonathan Wordsworth, Michael C.