Meyer Schapiro (1904-96), renowned for his critical essays on
nineteenth- and twentieth-century painting, also played a decisive role
as a young scholar in defining the style of art and architecture known
as Romanesque. And, appropriately, when he was invited to deliver the
prestigious Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard, he chose
Romanesque architectural sculpture as his topic. These lectures,
acclaimed for the verve and freshness with which Schapiro delivered
them, languished unpublished for decades. But Linda Seidel, who knew
Schapiro well and attended the 1967 lectures, has now expertly
transcribed and edited them, presenting them for the first time to an
audience beyond the halls of Harvard.
In editing the lectures, Seidel closely followed the recordings of the
originals. Sentences are rendered as Schapiro spoke them, affording
readers a unique opportunity to experience the legendary teacher as he
rarely appears in print: forming his thoughts spontaneously,
interrupting himself to develop related ideas, and responding to the
audience's interests by introducing humorous asides. Nonetheless, these
lectures are carefully constructed, demonstrating Schapiro's commitment
to the originality and value of artistic production and affirming his
lifelong belief in artists' engagement with their cultures. Amply
illustrated with many key works and augmented with Seidel's
indispensable introduction, this long-awaited volume will delight
students and scholars of art history, as well as anyone interested in
seeing a new side of a profoundly influential mind.
