S. Lane Faison
Encyclopedia
S. Lane Faison was an art history
professor at Williams College
. Faison headed the art history department at Williams from 1940 to 1969 and remained on the full-time faculty until 1976. Several of his students went on to direct major museums including Earl A. Powell III of the National Gallery of Art
in Washington DC, Glenn D. Lowry
of the Museum of Modern Art
in New York
and Thomas Krens
of the Guggenheim Museum
in New York.
He was himself trained at Williams by Karl E. Weston, who inspired an earlier generation of art scholars in the 1920s.
Mr. Faison was a Navy Reservist during World War II. In 1945 he was posted to the Office of Strategic Services' Art Looting Investigation Unit. He wrote the official report [see external link below] on Adolf Hitler's collection of stolen art. Five years later, he supervised the return of stolen art under the direction of the Department of State.
In 2004 the following quote appeared in the New York Times:
S. Lane Faison died on November 11, 2006 in Williamstown, Massachusetts five days shy of his 99th birthday.
Michael J. Lewis, “An Art Teacher’s Art Teacher,” Commentary 123, no. 4 (April 2007), pp. 58–62
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
professor at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
. Faison headed the art history department at Williams from 1940 to 1969 and remained on the full-time faculty until 1976. Several of his students went on to direct major museums including Earl A. Powell III of the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
in Washington DC, Glenn D. Lowry
Glenn D. Lowry
Glenn D. Lowry is the current Director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. He became the sixth director of the Museum in 1995 and heads a staff of around 750 people...
of the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Thomas Krens
Thomas Krens
Thomas Krens is the former director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York City, and currently the Guggenheim's Senior Advisor for International Affairs, overseeing the completion of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi...
of the Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
in New York.
He was himself trained at Williams by Karl E. Weston, who inspired an earlier generation of art scholars in the 1920s.
Mr. Faison was a Navy Reservist during World War II. In 1945 he was posted to the Office of Strategic Services' Art Looting Investigation Unit. He wrote the official report [see external link below] on Adolf Hitler's collection of stolen art. Five years later, he supervised the return of stolen art under the direction of the Department of State.
In 2004 the following quote appeared in the New York Times:
I always stressed two things. One has to do with the connection of art to history, with the fact that every work of art was done somewhere and some when, and that this is very important to understand. The other side has to do with the medium of art, which is quite different from the subject. What we're talking about is color and shape. You'd be surprised at the number of people who come to Williams, and I think this is generally true of American students, with absolutely no idea of what the word 'shape' means or what you can do with it and why it's important. They have easily mastered the medium of language, but many of them know very little about the medium of art.
S. Lane Faison died on November 11, 2006 in Williamstown, Massachusetts five days shy of his 99th birthday.
Source
- The New York Times, October 28, 1997, An Art Lover Who Awakened a Generation by Judith H. DobrzynskiJudith H. DobrzynskiJudith Helen Dobrzynski is an American journalist and instructor in journalism.She is currently a freelance writer who has contributed articles on culture, the arts, business, philanthropy and other topics to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and several magazines.She also writes opinion...
- The New York Times, March 31, 2004 Wednesday, Late Edition - Final, Section G; Column 1; Museums; Pg. 10; LEGACY, 1434 words, One College's Long Shadow: Looking Back at the 'Williams Mafia', By STEPHEN KINZER, CHICAGO
- The Washington Post, November 17, 2006, Obituary.
Michael J. Lewis, “An Art Teacher’s Art Teacher,” Commentary 123, no. 4 (April 2007), pp. 58–62