Dr. Robert Neuman
Professor
17th- and 18th-Century Art
PhD University of Michigan
Directive status: Doctoral
2034 William Johnston Building
(850) 644-2584
rneuman@fsu.edu
Robert Neuman received his Ph.D. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His field of specialization is early modern European art, with an emphasis on social and religious history, gender studies, and the intersection of high art and popular culture. Inherently interdisciplinary, his scholarship ranges widely, encompassing all media - painting, sculpture, architecture, and prints, as well as decorative arts and costume.
His book, Robert de Cotte and the Perfection of Architecture in Eighteenth-Century France, is the first comprehensive examination of the French royal architect during a period when Paris became the center of courtly fashion. The recipient of several awards, including grants from the French Government and the Millard Meiss Fund, Dr. Neuman is currently working on diverse topics, including Watteau, garden sculpture, and genre prints. He is also researching the role of American movies in shaping perception of historic architecture. He is a former book review editor for the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.
A dedicated teacher, Professor Neuman has received three teaching awards at Florida State, including the prestigious University Teaching Award. He offers a cycle of courses on both the undergraduate and graduate levels: Southern Baroque Art, Northern Baroque Art, and Eighteenth-Century Art. Seminar topics include "The Baroque Woman," "Nature Perfected: Gardens and Landscapes," and "French Architecture from Baroque to Rococo." He also provides a graduate seminar on art-historical writing and publishing. In addition to classes in European art, Dr. Neuman treats twentieth-century American art and design through analysis of themed environments and classic 2-D animation. These courses focus on the impact of film, television, merchandising, and leisure on visual culture.
Selected Publications
"Illusions of Grandeur: A Harmonious Garden for the Sun King." In Gardening Philosophy for Everyone: Cultivating Wisdom, edited by Dan O'Brien, 163-77. Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2010.
"Main Street, USA." In Disneyland and Culture: Essays on the Parks and Their Influence, edited by Kathy Merlock Jackson and Mark I. West. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2010.
"Disneyland's Main Street, U.S.A., and Its Sources in Hollywood, U.S.A." Journal of American Culture 31 (2008); 83-97.
"Now Mickey Mouse Enters Art's Temple: Walt Disney at the Intersection of Art and Entertainment." Visual Resources 14.3 (1999): 249-61.
Biographical entries, Oxford Art Online (Dictionary of Art., Ed. Jane Turner. 36 vols. New York: Grove: 1996).
Robert de Cotte and the Perfection of Architecture in Eighteenth-Century France. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994.
"Projects for the Church of Saint-Louis de Versailles in the Parc-aux-Cerfs." Eighteenth-Century Life 17 (1993): 182-93.
"Watteau's L'enseigne de Gersaint and Baroque Emblematic Tradition." Gazette des Beaux-Arts 104 (1984): 153-64.
Recent doctoral dissertations directed by Professor Neuman
"'Black Saturday': Eudora Welty's Unpublished Photographic Essay of Depression-era Mississippi"
"Religious Orders and Catholic Reform: Parisian Churches during the Reign of Louis XIII"
"Sacred Kingship and Royal Patronage in the Vie de la Magdalene: Pilgrimage, Politics, Passion Plays, and the Life of Louis of Savoy"
"Alessandro Magnasco and the Painterly Picaresque"
"The Monument du costume of Jean-Michel Moreau le Jeune in the Context of Rousseau and the Ancien Régime"
"The Theme Park as Art and Narrative: A Case Study of the Disney-MGM Studios"
London Study Abroad Program
Dr. Neuman will be teaching in London during the first six weeks of the Summer Semester 2011. Students may register for the two courses described below. Art History majors also have the option of registering for these courses on the 4000 level (ask Dr. Neuman).
Program Information - London: Broad Curriculum - May 5 to June 16, 2011. Visit FSU International Programs.
Newsweek magazine recently called London "the coolest city on the planet" and for good reason: it is hard to imagine a more stimulating environment for American students abroad. In particular, London is unrivaled worldwide for the number and quality of its art treasures and architecture. Therefore all classes on this program are taught on site so that we can explore first-hand the best that the city has to offer. Field trips outside the capital and participation in theatrical, musical, and other cultural events complement an incomparably rich experience.
ARH 2000 ART, ARCHITECTURE, AND ARTISTIC VISION
This course on the architecture of London surveys some two thousand years of construction, from ancient Roman excavations to the medieval Tower of London, and from St. Paul’s Cathedral to recent Postmodern designs. All classes meet on site in the city in order to explore firsthand methods for understanding and enjoying architecture. We study major styles while considering materials and decorative details through visits to a variety of buildings, including Gothic churches, Georgian houses, cast-iron train stations, and Edwardian department stores. Our analysis will be grounded in the social and political history of Great Britain. Students examine the future as well as the past, as the cityscape continues to evolve in anticipation of the Olympics in 2012. Taking as our model the New Design for London group, which oversees the creation of world-class architecture and sustainable design, students have the opportunity to assess the new directions in which this global capital is moving, while at the same time preserving its past.
ARH 3057 HISTORY AND CRITICISM OF ART II
This introductory survey of Western art, 1400-2011, is taught entirely on site in a wide range of London museums, from the big national collections, like the British Museum and the National Gallery, both a short walk from the FSU London Study Centre, to small gems like the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace and Sir John Soane’s Museum. Students will become familiar with the basic terms, concepts, and periods of art history. Comprising both indigenous and foreign art, London’s collections were initially formed by the Crown and the aristocracy, then by cultivated gentlemen returning from the Grand Tour in Italy, and finally by bankers and entrepreneurs. Many artworks are still exhibited in the magnificent mansions where they were originally installed. Auction houses like Christie’s and Sotheby’s have contributed to two centuries of art commerce, while in the last decade London’s contemporary art scene has been invigorated by the opening of the Tate Modern and the proliferation of gallery venues across east and south London. We study objects from all postmedieval periods in Western Europe, including some of the most famous works of masters like Michelangelo, da Vinci, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh, Dali, and Warhol in British collections. The course also considers issues regarding display and conservation.
