2008 Woodie Awards
Art Professor Delivers Lehmann Lecture
Allison Holtman
Issue date: 4/21/05 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
Smith College Professor of Art Caroline M. Houser will deliver a featured lecture entitled "The Virgin Goddess: Stripped Bare?" on Saturday, April 23 at 11 a.m. The annual Lehmann Lecture, now in its 15th year, explores how archeological evidence can shed light on the history of one of the ancient world's most beloved statues.
Sponsored by The Archeological Institute of America's Western Massachusetts Society, the lecture will be held in Graham Auditorium of the Brown Fine Arts Center, with a reception to follow in the Neilson Library Browsing Room. The event is free and open to the public.
A past director and founding member of Smith's program in archeology, Professor Houser will speak specifically about the statue of Athena found in the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis. In the mid-fifth century, the Greeks revered the statue partly because of its gold exterior. Called "The Virgin" or "The Parthenos," the statue was seen as both beautiful and useful, as they believed the gold could be used to protect the city should danger arise. Later stripped of its gold and left bare, some believe the incident to be caused by the tyrant Lachares.
Professor Houser tackles the art history issues to be addressed in her lecture in the eyes of an art historian, as well as those of an archeologist. Besides participating in the now-thriving department of art at Smith, she has also been involved in the Western Massachusetts Society of the Archeological Institute of America, where she has served as president.
An accomplished art historian, Houser has become a published authority, with articles seen throughout America and Europe. Other works on ancient Greek art include two books about large bronze statues. Houser recently worked as a curator in The Smith College Museum of Art for the traveling exhibition on women portrayed in art entitled "From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World." She wrote the catalog for and worked on the exhibit "Dionysos and his Circle," recently on display at the Fogg Museum of Art at Harvard University.
Professor Houser is the most recent in a long line of distinguished speakers to participate in the Lehmann Lecture. Past speakers have included lecturer in archeology Susan Heuck Allen, and, most recently, Bettina Bergmann, associate professor of art at Mount Holyoke. Past topics have included the role of women in classical archeology and the interior of Roman houses.
The first Lehmann lecturer, James R. McCredie, will speak preceding Houser this Saturday. McCredie now works as the Smotherace director of excavations, after working as the director of fine arts at New York University.
The Lehmann Lecture was created 15 years ago to honor Phyllis Williams Lehmann, a professor at Smith College from 1948 until 1978. She passed away last year.
Sponsored by The Archeological Institute of America's Western Massachusetts Society, the lecture will be held in Graham Auditorium of the Brown Fine Arts Center, with a reception to follow in the Neilson Library Browsing Room. The event is free and open to the public.
A past director and founding member of Smith's program in archeology, Professor Houser will speak specifically about the statue of Athena found in the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis. In the mid-fifth century, the Greeks revered the statue partly because of its gold exterior. Called "The Virgin" or "The Parthenos," the statue was seen as both beautiful and useful, as they believed the gold could be used to protect the city should danger arise. Later stripped of its gold and left bare, some believe the incident to be caused by the tyrant Lachares.
Professor Houser tackles the art history issues to be addressed in her lecture in the eyes of an art historian, as well as those of an archeologist. Besides participating in the now-thriving department of art at Smith, she has also been involved in the Western Massachusetts Society of the Archeological Institute of America, where she has served as president.
An accomplished art historian, Houser has become a published authority, with articles seen throughout America and Europe. Other works on ancient Greek art include two books about large bronze statues. Houser recently worked as a curator in The Smith College Museum of Art for the traveling exhibition on women portrayed in art entitled "From Myth to Life: Images of Women from the Classical World." She wrote the catalog for and worked on the exhibit "Dionysos and his Circle," recently on display at the Fogg Museum of Art at Harvard University.
Professor Houser is the most recent in a long line of distinguished speakers to participate in the Lehmann Lecture. Past speakers have included lecturer in archeology Susan Heuck Allen, and, most recently, Bettina Bergmann, associate professor of art at Mount Holyoke. Past topics have included the role of women in classical archeology and the interior of Roman houses.
The first Lehmann lecturer, James R. McCredie, will speak preceding Houser this Saturday. McCredie now works as the Smotherace director of excavations, after working as the director of fine arts at New York University.
The Lehmann Lecture was created 15 years ago to honor Phyllis Williams Lehmann, a professor at Smith College from 1948 until 1978. She passed away last year.