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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbook, May 1973-March 1978

ARCH.2003.39, Rendition: 806704

Mistral, us.mistral.pixtral-large-2502-v1:0

The image shows a newspaper article titled "Fine Arts Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside" by Carla Hall. The article discusses the challenges faced by Harvard's Fine Arts Department in finding a tenured faculty member specializing in modern art after the departure of Michael Fried.

Key points from the article include:

  1. Departure of Michael Fried: The Fine Arts Department is struggling to find a suitable replacement for Michael Fried, who was a tenured professor and an expert in modern art.

  2. Challenges in Finding a Replacement:

    • John Rosenfield, the department chairman, acknowledges the difficulty in finding someone with both excellence and compatibility.
    • The department is prioritizing the recruitment of a senior scholar in modern art but faces a dilemma between hiring a young, untenured scholar or an older, established one.
  3. Views of Faculty and Students:

    • Scholars and students have differing opinions on the urgency and necessity of filling the position.
    • Alixe Murphy, a former student, believes it is an obligation for Harvard to cover all basic areas, including modern art.
    • Oleg Grabar, a head tutor, disagrees, stating that Harvard's prestige allows it to focus on select fields rather than covering all areas.
  4. Impact on Students:

    • Graduate students are affected by the lack of modern art courses, with some writing theses and preparing for general exams without adequate guidance.
    • The department is aware of these difficulties but does not feel obligated to make long-term academic appointments solely to alleviate undergraduate problems.
  5. Tenure System:

    • The tenure system is described as conservative, making it difficult to appoint young scholars.
    • Michael Fried left Harvard for a tenured position at Johns Hopkins University, highlighting the competitive nature of academic appointments.
  6. Future Prospects:

    • The department aims to balance undergraduate education with the priorities of graduate education.
    • The full-tenure procedure includes recommendations by a committee and approval by President Bok.

The article highlights the complexities and controversies within academic departments, particularly in specialized fields like modern art.

Mistral, mistral.ministral-3-14b-instruct

The image is a newspaper article titled "U.S. Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside" by Carla Hall. The article discusses the controversies and challenges surrounding the Harvard Fine Arts Department's decision to not hire a tenured professor specializing in modern art, leading to the departure of Michael Fried, a tenured faculty member.

Key points from the article include:

  1. Disagreement on Modern Art:

    • John Rosenfield, chairman of Harvard’s Fine Arts Department, believes modern art is inherently controversial and unsettled, making it difficult to justify hiring a tenured professor in this field.
  2. Departmental Obligations:

    • Harvard has a strong emphasis on undergraduate education and the teaching of traditional art forms such as nineteenth and twentieth-century painting and sculpture.
    • The department currently teaches modern art through limited appointments or professors whose primary field is not modern art.
  3. Divergent Views:

    • Head tutor Oleg Grabar argues that Harvard should cover all fields, including modern art, due to its prestige and obligation to develop fields not traditionally emphasized.
    • Rosenfield and other scholars believe Harvard should focus on established fields, especially given the challenges in recruiting and retaining top modern art experts.
  4. Impact on Graduate Students:

    • Graduate students are concerned about the lack of modern art faculty, which affects their ability to specialize and prepares them for the job market.
    • Sarene Shanus, a junior in Fine Arts, expresses concern about the continuity of faculty and the uncertainty of tenure.
  5. Departure of Michael Fried:

    • Fried, a tenured professor, left Harvard after the department chose not to renew his tenure, which he attributes to the department's conservative stance on hiring.
    • Fried was highly regarded but chose to leave before the tenure mechanism was fully implemented, indicating a potential mismatch between his expectations and Harvard's policies.
  6. Future Hiring Decisions:

    • Harvard aims to recruit someone with expertise in modern art but is cautious about making hasty decisions.
    • The article highlights the complexity of balancing undergraduate education with the need to support graduate studies and maintain a robust faculty.

Overall, the article explores the tension between traditional academic values and the evolving demands of modern art education, emphasizing the challenges Harvard faces in maintaining a balanced and forward-thinking curriculum.

Mistral, mistral.ministral-3-8b-instruct

The image is a newspaper clipping from a section titled "Us Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside." The article discusses the state of modern art education at Harvard University, focusing on the challenges faced by the Fine Arts Department, particularly in the area of modern art.

Key points from the article include:

  1. Departure of Professor Michael Fried:

    • The departure of Professor Michael Fried has left Harvard without a tenured faculty expert in modern art.
    • This situation raises concerns about the future of modern art education at Harvard.
  2. Controversy Over Modern Art:

    • The field of modern art is inherently controversial, with ongoing disagreements about its value and relevance.
    • John Rosenfield, the chairman of Harvard’s Fine Arts Department, acknowledges the field's unsettled status and the need to find a solution.
  3. Finding a Tenured Position:

    • Harvard is actively seeking a new tenured faculty member to fill the gap left by Fried.
    • Rosenfield emphasizes the importance of finding a scholar who is both excellent and compatible with the department's goals.
  4. Opinions from Faculty and Students:

    • Head tutor Oleg Grabar believes that modern art should not be obligatory in undergraduate courses, as it is not a priority in all academic fields.
    • Some scholars and students argue that modern art is a fundamental area that should be covered, while others feel that Harvard should focus on maintaining a balance in its curriculum.
  5. Undergraduate and Graduate Education:

    • There is a noted interest among undergraduate and graduate students in studying modern art, but the department faces challenges in meeting this demand.
    • Graduate student Susan Siegfried expresses concerns about the lack of tenure opportunities for modern art experts, which can lead to a lack of continuity in the faculty.
  6. Departure of Michael Fried:

    • Fried left Harvard to accept a tenured position at Johns Hopkins University, which some faculty members found surprising, as Fried was highly regarded within the department.
    • The tenure process at Harvard is described as lengthy and conservative, which may make it difficult for young scholars to secure tenure.

Overall, the article highlights the internal debates and challenges Harvard's Fine Arts Department faces in maintaining and developing its modern art program amidst faculty departures and student interest.

Mistral, mistral.ministral-3-3b-instruct

The image is a page from a newspaper article titled "Us Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside," written by Carla Hall. The article discusses the challenges and decisions regarding the tenure of professors in Harvard's Fine Arts Department, particularly focusing on modern art.

Here are the key points from the article:

  1. John Rosenfield’s Perspective:

    • Rosenfield, the chair of Harvard's Fine Arts Department, expresses concerns over the lack of a senior professor in modern art. He believes Harvard should not hesitate to appoint someone with no tenure, emphasizing that the department's primary goal is to find the best possible candidate.
  2. Academic Priorities:

    • Rosenfield argues that Harvard has a responsibility to cover all essential areas within academic fields and then specialize. He states that while modern art may not be as critical as other areas, it is still important to have a presence in the curriculum.
  3. Oleg Grabar’s View:

    • Oleg Grabar, the head tutor, disagrees with Rosenfield. Grabar believes that Harvard should focus on developing fields that have not been developed elsewhere, prioritizing fields like Williams or Wellesley undergraduates' interests. He feels that Harvard should not cover every field but instead focus on what students need.
  4. Student and Faculty Perspectives:

    • Several students and faculty members, including Alixe Murphy and Sarene Shanus, express their concerns about the lack of continuity and tenure for modern art specialists. They highlight issues like the difficulty in finding suitable tutors and the impact on graduate students preparing for their theses.
  5. Michael Fried’s Departure:

    • Michael Fried, a tenured professor, left Harvard for Johns Hopkins University, citing the department's failure to offer him a full tenure. This departure highlights the department's struggles with the tenure process and the challenges in finding suitable candidates.
  6. General Concerns:

    • The article mentions broader issues such as the difficulty in recruiting the right faculty, the need for more flexible tenure policies, and the lack of established modern art experts in the department.

The overall sentiment of the article underscores the complexity and tension within Harvard's Fine Arts Department concerning modern art and the tenure system.

Mistral, mistral.magistral-small-2509

Us Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside

By CARLA HALL

"The field of modern art is inherently controversial. People will always disagree about who's good in it," John Rosenfield, chairman of Harvard's Fine Arts Department, explains. With the departure of former associate professor Michael Fried this fall, no tenured faculty expert in the area of modern art remains at Harvard. How to remedy that situation — and whether or not it should be remedied — presents a problem for the department. Since the field of modern art remains unsettled and unstable, Harvard shies away from sinking an irreversible tenure into modern art.

"Finding and recruiting a person for a tenured position is not like going to Woolworth's and looking," Rosenfield says. "We could get someone with no problem, but we pride ourselves on excellence and compatibility. The last thing we would want to do is make a hasty decision."

However, he stresses that finding this excellent and compatible person is the department's first priority. "We're going to hammer and tongue on an appointment," he says. "We need a senior scholar, and we couldn't be looking for one harder. I don't think anyone is as aware of this problem as the faculty."

Scholars do not all agree on this question. Alice Murphy, a former special student who did part time graduate work in fine arts at Harvard, argues that this matter goes beyond top priority and is actually an obligation. "I think Harvard is big enough to cover all the basic areas within academic fields and then specialize... Harvard has an obligation to cover nineteenth and twentieth century art."

Head tutor Oleg Grabar, however, disagrees that Harvard has any such obligation. "We can't cover all fields. It is precisely because of Harvard's prestige that it should develop fields not developed elsewhere. It is Harvard's responsibility to keep up the very rare fields. This is not necessarily correct, but it is reasonable. Chicago and New York have far better collections of modern art, so why bother with it here, if it can be done elsewhere?"

From Mohammed to the Modern

Grabar believes that the techniques of analysis taught in any history of art course should be applicable to other areas such as modern art. "You can take a course in Islamic art and learn what you need for the study of modern art — one doesn't have to have a course in modern art. Any work in one field gives you definitions and principles that can apply to any field. We would agree that modern art has to be taught — in undergraduate courses, no doubt. Whether we need it on the graduate level as much is questionable."

Grabar says Harvard will need someone new in that area next year whether tenured or not. Currently, nineteenth and twentieth century painting and sculpture courses are being taught either by lecturers with limited non-tenured appointments or by professors whose primary field is not modern art. However, in the department the majority of undergraduates will at one point express some degree of interest in studying modern art and a plurality of graduate students have declared their major field of interest as modern. This situation results in overcrowded modern art tutorials and a lack of advisors for graduate students writing theses and preparing for general exams.

The department is certainly aware of these difficulties, but it does not necessarily feel obligated to make long term or even short term academic appointments particularly to alleviate the problems of undergraduates. "Tutorials have always been a problem in the modern field," Rosenfield notes. "If this were Williams or Wellesley, undergraduates' wishes would be reflected in the department, but at Harvard the structure of the department does not always coincide with the wishes of undergraduates. We have to balance the priority of undergraduate education with that of graduate education."

Nevertheless the lack of modernists also hurts graduate students. "There is always a graduate student to advise an undergraduate in modern art," says Sarene Shanus, a junior in Fine Arts, "but for a graduate student there's the problem of continuity regarding what member of the faculty you might study with. It's a very indefinite situation — if you hit a year when a person might be leaving, you don't know what to do the next year."

Graduate student Susan Siegfried confirms the problems that other graduate and undergraduate scholars have expressed, but stresses that the department is doing what it can. "I'm not happy with the situation," she said, "but I appreciate the problems and understand the difficulties involved in finding someone to tenure. If you make a list of who you want to come to Harvard, you have a list of old, established people or young and exciting people who have tenure somewhere else, so Harvard has to offer them tenure if it wants them to come here.

"Yet that person's reputation may not be established, so making the appointment of a young person is very tricky. Harvard is a very conservative institution and the tenure system supports this," she said.

Why Fried Fled

For several reasons, this system overlook Michael Fried, a likely tenure candidate who taught at Harvard until this fall. One of the reasons may be that he left Harvard too soon. "Most members of the department hated him," Susan Siegfried explained. "He was one of the best young members of the department, but he chose to leave before the tenure mechanism went into effect."

Fried left Harvard this fall to accept a tenured appointment at Johns Hopkins University. According to Rosenfield, the Fine Arts Department was at that time only considering recommending him for tenure to Bok.

The full-tenure procedure includes candidate scrutiny by an ad hoc committee chosen by President Bok.

(Continued on page 14)

Mistral, mistral.mistral-large-3-675b-instruct

The image is a newspaper article from the Royal Mandarins section of the Harvard Crimson, titled "As Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside" and authored by Carla Hall.

Summary:

The article discusses the challenges and controversies within Harvard's Fine Arts Department regarding the field of modern art. Several key points are highlighted:

  1. Controversial Nature of Modern Art:

    • The field of modern art is described as inherently controversial, with opinions divided on its value and legitimacy.
    • John Rosenfield, chairman of Harvard's Fine Arts Department, acknowledges that while modern art can be divisive, it should not be ignored.
  2. Lack of Tenured Faculty in Modern Art:

    • Michael Fried, a former associate professor who left for Johns Hopkins University, was the last tenured faculty member specializing in modern art at Harvard.
    • The department currently lacks a tenured specialist in modern art, which poses significant issues for both teaching and maintaining the department's prestige.
  3. Recruitment Challenges:

    • Finding and recruiting a qualified, tenured professor for modern art is a priority, but it is difficult due to the field's controversial nature and the high standards set by the department.
    • Rosenfield emphasizes the need for a senior scholar, preferably one with an excellent reputation and an appointment that includes both the Fine Arts Department and another academic field.
  4. Impact on Students:

    • The absence of modern art specialists impacts both undergraduate and graduate students. Undergraduates lack access to modern art courses, and graduate students struggle with limited advising and thesis supervision.
    • Graduate students express concerns about the lack of guidance and the potential impact on their academic and professional futures.
  5. Curriculum Gaps:

    • The department currently does not offer courses in modern art, which is seen as a significant gap in the curriculum.
    • The article notes that there is a general agreement on the need for modern art courses at the undergraduate level.
  6. Administrative Issues:

    • The department faces overworked tutors and a lack of long-term academic appointments.
    • Graduate student Susan Siegfried highlights the stress and uncertainty faced by students due to these issues.
  7. Reasons for Michael Fried's Departure:

    • The article mentions that the tenure system's structure and the department's focus on older, more established fields may have driven Michael Fried to leave.
    • Fried’s departure is seen as a significant loss, and there are concerns that similar issues may affect future recruitments.

Overall, the article paints a picture of a department struggling to balance its traditional strengths with the need to evolve and include modern art within its academic offerings.

Azure OpenAI Service, gpt-4

The image shows a newspaper article with the headline "FAS Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside" by Carla Hall. The article appears to be discussing various viewpoints regarding the approach to modern art within an academic department. The piece of paper containing the article is shown at an angle, with the top part slightly folded over, revealing part of another page beneath it.

The article itself mentions individuals such as John Rosenfield, Michael Fried, and a Harvard associate professor, discussing differing opinions on the importance and handling of modern art in a curriculum. It describes tensions about the future direction of the department and challenges in hiring faculty who align with certain philosophical and academic priorities.

The text at the top right corner, part of another folded article or a caption, mentions Harvard University and speaks of the challenges graduate students face in the field of modern art.

Some words and phrases are clearly visible, such as "finding and recruiting a person for a tenured position," and "Harvard has shied away from modern art." There is reference to challenges involved in maintaining scholarly rigor and balancing tradition with new developments in modern art.

On the right edge of the image, you can see some highlighted or underlined text, which suggests that a reader found these parts of the article particularly important or worth noting.

Below the main article's title, in smaller text, is an additional title: "Brushes Modernists Aside." This implies that the article is probably discussing a shift within the department or institution away from modern art or modernist perspectives.

Please note that this explanation only pertains to the visible content, and without the continuation of the text on the rest of the page or the following pages, it's not possible to provide a complete analysis of the article's full content.

Azure OpenAI Service, gpt-4.1-mini-2025-04-14

The image depicts an old newspaper clipping titled "Harvard's Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside," written by Carla Hall. The article discusses the controversy surrounding the modern art field at Harvard's Fine Arts Department, particularly focusing on the challenges and attitudes towards modern art and modernist faculty members.

Key points from the article include:

  • John Rosenfield, chairman of Harvard’s Fine Arts Department, explains the department lacks a tenured expert in the area of modern art and is trying to address this.
  • The department is described as leaning away from modern art, which causes tension.
  • There is difficulty in finding and recruiting suitable faculty members who specialize in modern art due to limited availability and institutional priorities.
  • Harvard faces challenges balancing traditional academic fields with modern art, which correctively should cover 19th and 20th-century art.
  • Graduate students face difficulties with inadequate faculty guidance and mentorship, especially in modern art fields.
  • The department's structure and priorities limit the inclusion of modern art, causing dissatisfaction.
  • Susan Siegfried and Sarene Shanus, graduate students in Fine Arts, comment on the issues related to advising and continuity for graduate students.
  • Michael Fried, a likely tenure candidate who taught at Harvard, left too soon partly due to departmental issues.
  • The article hints at strong institutional resistance to including modernist perspectives more prominently.

An inset at the top left corner references "Royal Mandarin," but its relevance to the article is unclear from the image. The article is visually aged, printed on yellowed newspaper, and partially torn or folded in some areas.

Amazon, amazon.nova-lite-v1:0

The image is a page from a newspaper or magazine with an article titled "Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside." The article discusses the challenges faced by Harvard's Fine Arts Department in finding and recruiting a tenured expert in modern art, particularly in light of the departure of former professor Michael Fried. The article highlights the department's reluctance to specialize in modern art, arguing that Harvard's resources are better allocated to other fields. It also touches on the difficulties faced by graduate students due to the lack of continuity in faculty and the challenges of finding tenured positions in the field. The article features quotes from department chairman John Rosenfield and graduate student Susan Siegfried, among others. The page also includes a continuation notice at the bottom, indicating that the article continues on page 14.

Amazon, us.amazon.nova-2-lite-v1:0

The image shows a page from a newspaper or magazine featuring an article titled "Arts Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside" by Carla Hall. The article discusses the challenges and controversies surrounding the field of modern art, particularly at Harvard University. Here is a detailed description of the content and visual elements:

Visual Elements:

  1. Title and Byline:

    • The headline is prominently displayed at the top: "Arts Dept. Brushes Modernists Aside".
    • The byline reads: "By CARLA HALL", indicating the author of the article.
  2. Text Layout:

    • The article is formatted in a typical newspaper style, with justified text and clear paragraph breaks.
    • The text is printed in a serif font, suggesting a formal or academic tone.
    • The page appears to be part of a larger publication, as indicated by the visible page number "14" at the bottom right corner.
  3. Partial Overlap:

    • In the top-left corner, there is a partial overlay of another document or photograph. This overlay includes the word "MANDALAY" and some other text and markings, which seem unrelated to the article itself. This suggests that the image may have been scanned or photographed alongside other materials.
  4. Content Focus:

    • The article discusses the tension between modern art and traditional academic structures, particularly at Harvard.
    • Key themes include:
      • Controversy in Modern Art: The article notes that modern art is inherently controversial, and opinions on what constitutes good art vary widely.
      • Harvard’s Stance: Harvard is criticized for shying away from granting tenure to modern art specialists, despite the field's growing importance.
      • Challenges in Hiring: The article highlights the difficulty in finding qualified candidates who are both experts in modern art and compatible with the department's existing faculty.
      • Graduate Education: There is a discussion about the challenges faced by graduate students in modern art, including the lack of tenure-track positions and the difficulty in finding mentors.
      • Department Priorities: The article explores the department's focus on traditional art forms (e.g., Islamic art, nineteenth and twentieth-century painting and sculpture) and the resulting neglect of modern art.
  5. Quotes and Opinions:

    • The article includes quotes from various individuals, such as:
      • John Rosenfeld, chairman of Harvard’s Fine Arts Department, who acknowledges the difficulty in hiring modern art specialists.
      • Oleg Grabar, a head tutor, who defends Harvard’s decision to prioritize traditional fields.
      • Susan Siegfried, a graduate student, who discusses the challenges faced by graduate students in modern art.
  6. Discussion of Tenure:

    • The article touches on the tenure system and its impact on hiring practices, particularly the departure of Michael Fried, a noted scholar in modern art, from Harvard.

Overall Impression:

The image captures a thought-provoking article that delves into the academic and institutional challenges of integrating modern art into traditional university departments. The overlay of another document in the top-left corner adds an element of visual complexity, suggesting that the image may have been part of a larger collection or archive. The article itself is well-structured, with clear headings, quotes, and a focus on key issues in the field of modern art and academic hiring practices.