New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts today announced the appointment of Clemente Marconi as the James R. McCredie Professor in the History of Greek Art and Archaeology. Marconi will begin teaching at the Institute in the fall of 2006.
Focusing on the art and architecture of the Greeks in the archaic and classical periods, Marconi has made landmark contributions to the discipline, using cross-cultural approaches, exploring the connections of the visual arts with other media (such as rituals or texts), and recovering their original meanings and social functions. His work is characterized by meticulous archaeological reconstruction and well-informed, broadly interested art historical interpretation. A distinguished archaeologist and historiographer of the field, he has conducted significant early temple excavations at Selinunte in Sicily, one of the most significant centers of religious, civic, and artistic culture in the ancient Greek world.
Mariët Westermann, the Judy and Michael Steinhardt Director of the Institute of Fine Arts, said, “We are fortunate to gain such a distinguished and energetic archaeologist, art historian, and teacher for our ancient studies program. We all look forward to his renewing and extending the Institute’s distinguished tradition in the history of Greek art and archaeology, building on the magnificent record established by Karl Lehmann, James McCredie, and Evelyn Harrison, and working closely with his new colleagues here. Professor Marconi comes to NYU at a most auspicious moment, as the University is just now shaping its new interdisciplinary Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, funded so generously by the Leon Levy Foundation. All of us at the Institute look forward to productive collaborations with this exciting new center for ancient studies.”
Prior to coming to IFA, Marconi was at Columbia University; he started there in the Department of the History of Art and Archeology in 1999, was made an associate professor of art history there in 2004, and was offered a full professorship this year. Prior to that, he served as assistant curator in the Archaeological Museum at Agrigento from 1995-97, and taught at La Sapienza from 1996-1998.
Clemente Marconi’s numerous publications include Temple Decoration and Cultural Identity in the Archaic Greek World: The Metopes of Selinus (in production with Cambridge University Press for publication in 2006), the acclaimed Selinunte: Le metope dell’Heraion (Modena: Panini, 1994), and five volumes as author and editor on the activities and records of the Commission of Antiquities and Fine Arts of Sicily. His editorship of this series of publications, which have been hailed as vital for the preservation and interpretation of Sicily’s rich archaeological evidence, is continuing; the next volume is currently in press. Marconi also organized the seminal conference Greek Painted Pottery: Images, Contexts, and Controversies at Columbia University, edited its proceedings, and contributed the introduction as well as an important article to the book (New York and Leiden: Brill, 2004). He has published numerous articles and reviews on a wide range of topics in such landmark journals as Res: Anthropology and Aesthetics, Prospettiva, Gnomon, and Classical Review.
Marconi has held fellowships and grants from the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, the Fondazione Giorgio Pasquali, the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome, and Columbia University. He serves as Vice-President of the New York Society of the Archaeological Institute of America and on the editorial board of Prospettiva.
He earned his BA in Classics, summa cum laude, at the University of Rome (“La Sapienza”) and received his PhD in 1997, summa cum laude, from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa.
The Institute of Fine Arts is one of the world’s leading graduate schools and research institutes in art history, archaeology, and conservation. The Institute has a permanent faculty unrivalled in the breadth and depth of its expertise and unparalleled in the range of its adjunct lecturers from top museums, research institutes, and conservation studios. Since the Institute awarded its first PhD in 1933, more than 1600 degrees have been conferred. A high proportion of alumni hold international leadership roles as professors, curators, museum directors, archaeologists, conservators, critics, and institutional administrators.
New York University is located in the heart of Greenwich Village. Founded in 1831, NYU is this year celebrating its 175th anniversary. It is one of America’s leading research universities and a member of the selective Association of American Universities. It is one of the largest private universities, it is a leader in attracting international students and scholars in the U.S, and it sends more students to study abroad than any other U.S. college or university. Through its 14 schools and colleges, NYU conducts research and provides education in the arts and sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music, public administration, social work, and continuing and professional studies, among other areas.