Columbia University Department of Art History and Archaeology

Columbia University Department of Art History and Archaeology. It is one of the oldest and most distinguished academic departments of its kind in North America, forming a cornerstone of the humanities at Columbia University. The department is renowned for its global and interdisciplinary approach, spanning the study of art history, archaeology, and visual culture from antiquity to the contemporary era. Its faculty and graduates have profoundly shaped the discipline through pioneering scholarship, critical theory, and leadership in major museums and cultural institutions worldwide.

History

The department's origins trace to 1890 with the appointment of Arthur M. Huntington as the first Professor of Archaeology, formally establishing instruction in the field. A pivotal figure was Meyer Schapiro, who joined the faculty in 1928 and whose influential work on Medieval art, Modernism, and social history of art defined the department's intellectual rigor for decades. Under the leadership of figures like Julius Held, an expert on Rubens and Rembrandt, the department expanded its purview. The establishment of the PhD program solidified its role as a premier research institution, attracting scholars such as Millard Meiss, a leading authority on Italian Renaissance painting, and Edith Porada, a renowned specialist in Ancient Near Eastern seals. Throughout the 20th century, the department was instrumental in integrating new methodologies, including the formalist criticism associated with Clement Greenberg and the social history approaches advanced by T.J. Clark.

Academic Programs

The department administers comprehensive graduate and undergraduate degrees through the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Columbia College. It offers the Bachelor of Arts (BA), the Master of Arts (MA), and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), with the doctoral program being its centerpiece. Interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged with other units like the Department of Classics, the Department of History, the Department of Religion, and the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Key research initiatives and seminar offerings often focus on specific fields such as Byzantine art, East Asian art, Islamic art, African art, and the archaeology of the Mediterranean. The department also participates in the Museum Studies program at New York University and has strong ties to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Faculty and Research

The faculty comprises leading scholars whose research defines global art historical and archaeological discourse. Notable current and recent members include Zainab Bahrani, an expert on Mesopotamian art; Jonathan Crary, a theorist of modernity and visual culture; and Anne Higonnet, a scholar of 18th-century French art and gender studies. The late David Rosand was a seminal figure in Venetian Renaissance studies, while Kellie Jones specializes in African-American art and diaspora studies. Research projects frequently receive support from institutions like the Getty Research Institute, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Council of Learned Societies. The department publishes the scholarly journal *October*, a critical forum for art theory and criticism.

Notable Alumni

Graduates hold prominent positions in academia, museums, and the art world. Influential scholars include Linda Nochlin, famed for her essay "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"; Robert Rosenblum, a historian of 18th and 19th-century art; and Oleg Grabar, a preeminent scholar of Islamic architecture. Museum leaders encompass Glenn D. Lowry, Director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA); Thomas P. Campbell, former Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and Thelma Golden, Director of the Studio Museum in Harlem. Other distinguished alumni are art critic and curator Dave Hickey; archaeologist and former Director of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, James R. McCredie; and contemporary art historian Pamela M. Lee.

Facilities and Resources

The department is housed primarily in Schermerhorn Hall on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus, which contains classrooms, faculty offices, and the Visual Resources Center. Students and faculty have unparalleled access to the vast collections of the Columbia University Libraries, especially the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library, one of the world's largest architecture and fine arts libraries. The department's Wallach Art Gallery presents exhibitions directly tied to academic research. Proximity to major New York institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Frick Collection provides essential resources for study and professional development. Archaeological fieldwork is conducted at sites around the world, including excavations in Turkey, Jordan, and Italy.

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