JANETTA REBOLD BENTON, Ph.D.
28 Glenville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831 U.S.A.
Phone: (203) 622-6691
E-mail: jbenton@pace.edu
Website: www.JanettaReboldBenton.com
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janetta_Rebold_Benton
EDUCATION
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, diploma, Graduate School of Education, 6/00. Management Development Program.
Brown University, Providence, RI, Ph.D. in Art History, 7/81. Specialization in Late Medieval and Early Renaissance Art. Additional areas: Ancient, Renaissance. Dissertation: Influences of Ancient Roman Wall-Painting on Late Thirteenth-Century Italian Painting: A New Interpretation of the Upper Church of San Francesco in Assisi.
George Washington University, Washington, DC, M.A. in Art History, 6/69. Specialization in Ancient Greek and Roman Art. Additional areas: Renaissance, Baroque. Thesis: Tomb Architecture on the Greek Mainland and its Vicinity in the Third and Second Millennia B.C.
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, B.F.A., 6/67.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Spring semester 2018: Fulbright Scholar Award, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China, Graduate School of Art History, Visiting Professor. http://en.caa.edu.cn/news/LatestNews/201803/t20180307_72182.html
Courses taught: Aspects of American Art; Great American Masters.
Fall semester 2012: Fulbright Senior Scholar, European University, St. Petersburg, Russia, Graduate School of Art History, Visiting Professor.
Course taught: Aspects of American Art (integrated with Russian art).
9/86-present: Pace University, Pleasantville, NY.
9/04-present: Distinguished Professor of Art History.
1/14-6/15: University Director of Scholarly Initiatives.
9/98-7/12: Director of the Pforzheimer Honors College, serving approximately 320 students (previously Honors Program, 71 students), providing an enhanced educational and cultural experience for the most able students in the five undergraduate colleges of the University.
1/97-9/97: Acting Chair, Department of Fine Arts.
9/94: Full Professor with tenure
9/91: Associate Professor
9/88: Assistant Professor
9/86: Adjunct Professor
9/86-present: Courses taught: two-semester survey of History of Art (Honors); Introduction to Art (Honors); Ancient Greek and Roman Art; Art of the Middle Ages (Honors); Secular Art and Environment in the Middle Ages; Italian Renaissance Art (Honors); Northern Renaissance Art; History of Architecture; Re-Painting History: Lessons from Leonardo da Vinci (Honors, interdisciplinary, combining art history and studio practice); Art and Literature of Early England (Honors, interdisciplinary, including trip to England); Art and Literature of France (Honors, interdisciplinary, including trip to France); French Art: From the Middle Ages to Modern Times (Honors, Learning Community); Antiquity through the Middle Ages in Art and History (Honors Learning Community); History and Philosophy of Art (Honors, Learning Community).
7/86-1/12: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY.
3/88-5/11: Department of Concerts and Lectures, Contractual Lecturer for fall and spring season subscription lecture series.
7/86-7/89: The Cloisters and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, Gallery Lecturer.
9/82-12/85: University of Maryland/European Division (American Embassy, Paris). Instructor, Art History.
Courses taught: Romanesque Art; Gothic Art; Italian Renaissance Art; Northern Renaissance Art. Each course included lectures at museums, churches, châteaux, and monuments in Western Europe.
1/77-6/78, 9/71-8/72: Massachusetts State Colleges at Bridgewater and Framingham, MA. Lecturer to Assistant Professor, Fine Arts.
Courses taught: Introduction to Art; Fundamentals of Art; Art and Social Values (primarily graphics).
9/77-1/78, summer 1976: DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA. Lecturer.
Courses taught: Ancient Art; Aesthetic Principles.
9/73-6/75: Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA. Instructor, Fine Arts.
Courses taught: Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Art; Art since the Renaissance.
9/70-8/71: University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA. Instructor, Fine Arts.
Courses taught: Language of Art; two-semester survey of History of Art.
1/69-8/70: University of Virginia, Northern Virginia Center. Instructor, Fine Arts.
Courses taught: two-semester survey of History of Art; Visiting the Galleries (combination of lectures and trips to museums and galleries in Washington, DC, and vicinity).
9/69-6/70: George Washington University, Washington, DC. Lecturer, Fine Arts.
Courses taught: two-semester survey of History of Art.
4/68-5/69: National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.
Department of Education, Museum Curator.
BOOKS
The History of Western Art, Art Essentials, Thames & Hudson, London, 2023 (176 pages, c.117 illustrations) with editions in Latvian (Jāna Rozes apgāds, Riga), German (Midas Verlag, Zurich), and Spanish (Arte Blume, Barcelona).
How to Understand Art, Art Essentials series, Thames & Hudson, London, 2021 (176 pages, 111 illustrations), with editions in French (Flammarion, Paris), Italian (24 Ore Cultura, Milan), German (Midas Verlag, Zurich), Latvian (Jāna Rozes apgāds, Riga), Spanish (Art Blume, Barcelona), Taiwanese (Domain Publishing Company,Taiwan), and Vietnamese (Omega Books, Hanoi, 2023).
Handbook for the Humanities, co-authored with Robert DiYanni, Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2014 (450 pages, 443 illustrations, published in paperback and as e-book), Chinese translations, 2019, 2016.
Arts and Culture: An Introduction to the Humanities, co-authored with Robert DiYanni, Pearson/Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, fifth edition, prepared; fourth edition, 2012 (vol. I, 540 pages, 294 illustrations; vol. II, 498 pages, 289 illustrations; combined vol., 670 pages, 537 illustrations); Chinese translation, fourth edition, Tsinghua University Press, Beijing, forthcoming 2022; Chinese translation, second edition, 2011.
Materials, Methods, and Masterpieces of Medieval Art, Praeger Series on the Middle Ages, Praeger Publishers Imprint Publication, Greenwood Publishing Group, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA, 2009 (306 pages, 73 illustrations, published in hard cover and as e-book).
Medieval Mischief: Wit and Humour in the Art of the Middle Ages, The History Press (Sutton Publishing Ltd.), Thrupp, Gloucestershire, 2004 (176 pages, 165 illustrations).
Art of the Middle Ages, World of Art series, Thames & Hudson Ltd., London and New York, 2002 (320 pages, 250 illustrations).
Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings, Abbeville Press, New York, 1997, (140 pages, 108 illustrations), fifth printing; French edition, Saintes Terreurs: les gargouilles dans l'architecture médiévale, Éditions Abbeville, Paris, 1997, second edition, 2000.
Medieval Monsters: Dragons and Fantastic Creatures, exhibition catalog, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY, 1995 (39 pages, 94 illustrations).
The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in the Art of the Middle Ages, Abbeville Press, New York, 1992 (191 pages, 151 illustrations). Book of the Month Club selection; French edition, Bestiaire Médiéval: les animaux dans l'art du moyen age, Éditions Abbeville, Paris, 1992.
ARTICLES AND CHAPTERS
“Andy Warhol: King of Pop” (安迪·沃霍尔：波普艺术之王),lecture presented at Tsinghua University, Periodical of Tsinghua University Art Museum (清华大学艺术博物馆馆刊), Tsinghua University Press, Beijing, 2020, 33-39
“The Phoenix between Myth and Science,” book review, Joseph Nigg, The Phoenix: An Unnatural Biography of a Mythical Beast, University of Chicago Press, 2016, in IKON, Journal of Iconographic Studies, University of Rijeka, Croatia (Brepols Publishers), 10/2017, 401-03.
“The Museum as Cultural Magnet: Enhanced Experience, Increased Attendance,” The State Hermitage Museum, Museum of the 21st Century: New Educational Strategies, Proceedings of the International Conference 25-27 November 2015, The State Hermitage Publishers, Saint Petersburg, 2017, 128-33, pls. XV-XVI, with summary in Russian.
“Virtual Exhibition Project: Fostering Ties Between Future Museum Curators in the U.S. and Russia,” The State Hermitage Museum, The Museum and Museum Specialists: Problems of Professional Education, Proceedings of the International Conference 14-15 November 2014, The State Hermitage Publishers, Saint Petersburg, 2015, 60-65 with summary in Russian.
“The Corbels on the Church of Saint Peter, Vienne-en-Bessin,” including English summary of French literature accompanying photo exhibition, Vienne-en-Bessin, France, 2015.
“Lady with a Secret: The Lady and the Unicorn tapestries,” Smithsonian Journeys magazine, 2015, 102-03.
“Medieval Visual Humor,” entry in Encyclopedia of Humor Studies, Salvatore Attardo, editor, SAGE Publications, Los Angeles, CA, two volumes, 2014, 494-502.
"Marginalia," chapter introduction in Witness to History: The Face in Medieval Sculpture, exhibition catalog, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2007, 100 f.
"Sue Doe's Society: A Recent Archival Discovery," article in Proceedings of the Pseudo Society, Richard Ring and Richard Kay (eds.), Medieval Institute Publications, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 2003, 201-02.
"Good Friends: The Art of Three Artists," article in Le Secret des Anges, Jörg Beier (ed.), Wochenspeigel Sachsen Verlag GmbH, Germany, 2002.
"Fictive Architectural Borders and Pictorial Space c.1300," article in Cahiers de Civilisation Médiévale, Poitiers, 1998, 197-207, pls. LIII-LIX.
"Gargoyles: Animal Imagery and Artistic Individuality," chapter in Animals in the Middle Ages, Nona C. Flores (ed.), Routledge/Garland Publishing Company, New York, 1996, 147-65; paperback edition 2000.
"The Unicorn," essay in Swarovski Collector, Cherry Crowden (ed.), translated into many languages, Daniel Swarovski Corporation AG, Feldmeilen, Switzerland, 1996, 4-6.
"Gargoyles: Animal Imagery in Medieval Art," article in Pace Magazine, Pace University, New York, 1995, vol. XIII, no.1, 14-15.
"Antique Survival and Revival in the Middle Ages: Architectural Framing in Late Duecento Murals," article in Arte Medievale, Rome, II serie, anno VII, n.1, 1993, 129-45.
"Antique Antecedents for a Medieval Monster: The Centaur," article in Mandragora: A Journal of Folklore and Fantasy, I, no. 1, Pace University, New York, 1991, 1-9.
"Perspective and the Spectator’s Pattern of Circulation in Assisi and Padua," article in Artibus et Historiae, Vienna, XIX, 1989, 37-52.
"Costume in Medieval France around 1200," article in Herod and the Innocents, Spoleto Music Festival, Early Music Foundation, Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York, 1988.
"Some Ancient Mural Motifs in Italian Painting around 1300," article in Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte, Munich, XLVIII, 1985/I, 151-76.
Ljiljana Gasparovski, Sljivin Cvet u Vasi od Zlata, brochure for major exhibition of Yugoslavian artist’s work in Belgrade, 1981.
"Baccio Bandinelli," entries in exhibition catalog, Drawings and Prints of the First Maniera, 1515-1535, Brown University, Providence, RI, 1973, 10-15.
EXHIBITION CURATOR
Guest Curator, Medieval Monsters: Dragons and Fantastic Creatures, Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY, 1995, loan exhibition of 94 medieval objects.
CONFERENCE PAPERS AND LECTURES
Invited keynote speaker, “Extreme Architecture around the World,” Fulbright Annual Symposium, Yale University, New Haven, December 2023.
“Art and Environment in America,” lecture presented in conjunction with exhibition Art for the People: Earth, American Embassy, Beijing, China, with simultaneous Chinese translation, April 2022, online.
“Public Art in America,” presented in conjunction with exhibition Art for the People, American Embassy, Beijing, China, with simultaneous Chinese translation, May 2021, online.
Invited panelist/speaker, Community Day for Visiting International Fulbright Researchers, NY, NY, Feb. 2020
Invited plenary speaker, “Medieval Mischief: Wit and Humor in the Art of the Middle Ages,” International Society for Humor Studies conference, University of Texas-Austin, 2019
Invited keynote speaker, “The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in the Art of the Middle Ages,” Medieval Animals Conference, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of New Mexico, 2017.
Invited speaker, “The Museum as Cultural Magnet: Enhanced Experience, Increased Attendance,” Museums of the XXI Century: New Educational Paradigms, International Roundtable, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, fall 2015.
Invited keynote speaker, “A Different Approach to Travel,” Golden Key Honor Society induction, 2015, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY.
Invited speaker, “Art and Politics in America,” Dyson Seminar in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Pace University, NY, fall 2015.
Invited speaker, Virtual Exhibition Project: Fostering Ties between Future Museum Curators in the U.S. and Russia, The Museum and Museum Specialists: Problems of Professional Education Conference, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, fall 2014.
Invited speaker, Three Women Who Broke the Glass Ceiling in the Art World, for Morgan Stanley financial services, Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT, fall 2014; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, spring 2014.
Invited keynote speaker, “Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings,” Medieval Myths and Monsters Conference, Institute for Medieval Studies, University of New Mexico, 2013.
Invited Speaker, “Medieval Bestiaries: Similarity and Disparity of Information in Text and Image,” Word and Image Conference, European University, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2012.
Invited speaker, “Extreme Architecture: Global Ambitions and Accomplishments,” Construction and Architecture: Urbanization and Modern Trends in Megacities Conference, Moscow, Russia, 2012.
Chair, session, “Disjecta Membra: The Evidence of Fragments,” 47th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2012.
Chair, session, “Devotional Printed Books in England, 1476-1526,” 45th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2010.
Chair, session, “Making Books in Westminster and/or London II: Scribes, Printers, Artisans,” 44th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2009.
Chair, session, "Pilgrimage of Pleasure: Literary MSS/Books and their Peregrinations," 43rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2008.
Chair, session, "Images of Nature in Late Medieval Manuscripts and Printed Books," 42nd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2007.
Chair, session, "Written and Printed Ordinatio: Materials and Methods," 41st International Congress on
Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2006.
Chair, session, "Picturing Creation and Its Creatures in Manuscripts and/or Early Printed Books," 40th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2005.
Chair, session, "Libraries, Collections, and Collectors in the Later Middle Ages," 39th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2004.
Chair, session, "Medieval Childhood: Portraits and Texts in MSS and/or Early Printed Books," 38th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2003.
Chair, session, "Texts in Strange Places: Epigraphy and Inscription," 37th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2002.
Invited speaker, Artists and their Sources of Inspiration: Leonardo da Vinci, and panelist in session on "Messengers from the Past," Applied Brilliance Conference, sponsored by Architecture and Interiors magazines, Sedona, AZ, 2001 (Special Report in Architecture, NY, 2001, 89-91).
Chair, session, "The Poets and the Page: Presentation and Layout," 36th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2001.
Chair, session, "Millennium Madness: Images of Heaven and Hell in Medieval Art and Literature," 35th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 2000.
“Depictions of the Nude on Romanesque Churches,” International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, 1999.
“Wit and Humor as Didactic Devices in Medieval Church Art,” and co-chaired session on Wit and Humor in Medieval Art and Literature, 33rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1998.
“Medieval Mischief: Clever Uses of Context in Medieval Sculpture,” and chaired session on Late Medieval Art and Culture, International Medieval Congress, University of Leeds, 1997.
Chair, session, The Making of Manuscripts: Text and Illumination, 31st International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1996.
Invited speaker, “Fictive Architectural Borders and Pictorial Space c.1300,” International conference on Le rôle de l'ornement dans la peinture murale du moyen age, Saint-Lizier, France, 1995 (published in Cahiers de Civilisation Médiévale, Poitiers, 1998, 197-207, pls. LIII-LIX).
“A Categorization of Monstrosities in Medieval Art,” and co-chaired two sessions on Monstrosities in Medieval Art and Literature, 30th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1995.
“Gargoyles: Animal Imagery and Artistic Individuality,” and co-chaired session on Animals in Medieval Art and Literature, 29th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1994.
“The Clever Carver: Wit in English Medieval Sculpture,” 28th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1993.
Invited keynote speaker, “Impact of Images on Ethical Judgment,” Dyson College Society of Fellows Conference, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY, 1991.
Opening address on “A Categorization of Medieval Animal Imagery,” and co-chaired session on The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in Medieval Thought, 26th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1991.
“Gargoyles,” Conference on Fantastic Beasts, Pace University, White Plains, NY, 1991.
Opening address, “An Overview of the Merode Altarpiece,” and co-chaired session on The Merode Altarpiece: Reflections, Reconsiderations, and Revelations, and presented paper on “Antique Antecedents for Medieval Monsters,” and co-chaired session on The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in Medieval Thought, 25th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1990.
Invited speaker, “The Centaur: A Medieval Beast Boasts an Ancient Lineage,” Conference on Folklore and Fantasy, Pace University, White Plains, NY, 1990.
Opening address, “Some Problems: Sources, Significances,” and co-chaired two sessions on The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in Medieval Thought, 24th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1989.
“The Animal Symbols of the Evangelists,” 23rd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Medieval Institute, Western Michigan University, 1988.
“Ancient Roman Murals and the Development of Pictorial Space,” The Classics in the Middle Ages Conference, Center for Medieval and Early Renaissance Studies, SUNY-Binghamton, 1986.
“Ancient Roman Mural Motifs in Late Duecento and Early Trecento Painting,” Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies Conference, Villanova University, Philadelphia, 1981.
SUBSCRIPTION LECTURE SERIES
Smithsonian Associates, Washington, DC
“Why, Oh Why, Do We Love Paris? The Timeless Charm of the City of Light,” March 2025, four lectures, online
“Jackson Pollock and Abstract Expressionism,” November 2024, one lecture, online
“Fortresses and Fantasies: The Châteaux of the Loire Valley,” October-November 2024, four lectures, online
“The History of Western Art,” March 2024, four lectures, online
“French Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical Palaces around Paris: from François Ier to Napoleon,” December 2023, two lectures, online.
“Extreme Architecture around the World,” September 2023, online.
"Great Castles of Great Britain," June 2023, four lectures, online.
“Home is Where the Art is: Connecting Creativity and Place,” October-November 2022, four lectures, online.
“How to Understand Art,” September 2022, four lectures, online.
“Cézanne, Gauguin, van Gogh, Tanner,” December 2021, four lectures, online.
“Public Art in America,” November 2021, online.
“French Impressionist Masters: Degas, Monet, Morisot, and Renoir,” July 2021, four lectures, online
“Italian Renaissance Masters: Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo,” November 2020, four lectures, online.
“Sicily: Eternal Crossroads of the Mediterranean,” March 2020, four lectures, all-day seminar
“Palaces and Painters of Ile-de-France,” 2019, four lectures, all-day seminar
“Loire Valley Châteaux,” 2018, four lectures, all-day seminar
“Why, Oh Why, Do We Love Paris? The Timeless Charm of the City of Light,” 2017, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“Home is Where the Art is: Connecting Creativity and Place,” 2017, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“Changing Ideals of Physical Beauty in Art,” 2017, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“Painting in the Sun: Artists in Southern France: Renoir, Van Gogh, Matisse, Chagall,” 2016, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“The Glories of French Art and Architecture,” 2015, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“England’s Extraordinary Architecture,” 2014, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“Great Masters and their Masterpieces: Michelangelo, Rubens, Monet, Van Gogh,” 2013, four lectures, all-day seminar.
“Non-Western Traditions: Comparison of the Arts of Africa, Asia, and the American Indian,” 2011, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Masterpieces of Western Architecture, II: Renaissance through Modern," 2005, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Masterpieces of Western Architecture, I: Ancient through Gothic," 2004, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Early Castles of Belgium," 2000, four lectures, all-day seminar, followed by reception at home of Belgian ambassador.
"Italy’s Extraordinary Architecture," 1999, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"The Art of Renaissance Italy: Grandeur and Genius," 1995, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"French Châteaux: Fortresses and Fantasies," 1994, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Masterpieces of the Middle Ages: The Romanesque Realm," 1994, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Quintessential Castles of Great Britain," 1993, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Beauty and the Bizarre: The Paintings of Van Eyck, Bosch, Dürer, and Bruegel," 1992, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"Masterpieces of the Middle Ages: Gothic Grandeur," 1991, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"French Châteaux: Fortresses and Fantasies," 1989, four lectures, all-day seminar.
"The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in the Art of the Middle Ages," 1988.
92nd Street Y (92NY), New York City
“American Artists: Whistler and Cassatt; Homer and Eakins,” March 2025, two lectures, online
“Four Great Post-Impressionists: Cézanne, Gauguin, van Gogh, Tanner,” September 2024, four lectures, online
“Four French Impressionists: Degas, Monet, Morisot, Renoir,” February-March, 2024, four lectures, online
"American Artists: Tiffany, Pollock, Calder, Warhol, March 2023, four lectures, online
“Escape to France: Part Three, into the 20th Century, Rodin, Matisse, Picasso, Chagall,” December 2022, four lectures, online.
“Grandeur of French Art and Architecture,” March 2022, four lectures, online.
“Rubens and Rembrandt,” November 2021, two lectures, online.
“Public Art in America,” August 2021, online.
“African, Asian, and American Traditions in Art,” June 2021, four lectures, online.
“Escape to France: Part Two: Post-Impressionism: Cézanne, Gauguin, van Gogh, Tanner,” March 2021, four lectures, online.
“Escape to France: Part One: Impressionism: Degas, Monet, Morisot, Renoir,” December 2020, four lectures, online.
“Escape to Sicily,” October 2020, four lectures, online.
“Escape to England through Art and Architecture,” July 2020, two lectures, online.
“Escape to the Middle Ages,” April 2020, two lectures, online.
“Artists Who Broke the Mold: Cassatt, O’Keeffe, Nevelson, Kahlo,” March 2020, four lectures, online.
“Italian Renaissance Masters: Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo,” 2019, four lectures.
“French Fortresses and Fantasies: Châteaux of the Loire River Valley,” 2019, four lectures.
“Pleasures of Paris,” 2018, four lectures.
The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, New York, NY
“Home is Where the Art Is: Inside the Houses of the World’s Greatest Artists,” spring 2017, four lectures.
“Body Beautiful: Changing Ideals of Physical Beauty through the Centuries,” fall 2016, two lectures.
“Great American Masters: Homer, Cassatt, Tiffany, Calder, Pollock, Warhol,” 2015-16 season, six lectures.
“Architectural Masterpieces: Italy, France, England, and Contemporary Global Accomplishments,” spring 2015, four lectures.
“Great Masters and their Masterpieces: Botticelli, Goya, Rodin, Chagall,” fall 2014, four lectures.
“Great Masters and their Masterpieces: Raphael, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frida Kahlo, spring 2014, four lectures.
“France’s Fascinating Art,” fall 2013, four lectures.
“Italy’s Extraordinary Art: From the Pantheon to St. Peter’s,” spring 2013, eight lectures.
“Encore! Four More! Great Painters and their Masterpieces: Michelangelo, Peter Paul Rubens, Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe,” spring 2012, four lectures.
“Great Painters and their Masterpieces: Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso,” fall 2011, four lectures.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
“Art History 201: Part Six, Masterpieces of World Art, The 20th and Early 21st Centuries,” spring 2011, six lectures.
“Art History 201: Part Five, Masterpieces of World Art, Era of Impressionism,” fall 2010, six lectures.
“Art History 201: Part Four, Masterpieces of World Art, Baroque to Neoclassicism,” spring 2010, six lectures.
“Art History 201: Part Three, Masterpieces of World Art, The Renaissance,” fall 2009, six lectures.
“France and England: Châteaux and Castles,” spring 2009, two lectures.
“Art History 201: Part Two, Masterpieces of World Art, The Middle Ages,” spring 2009, six lectures.
“Art History 201: Part One, Masterpieces of World Art, Prehistory – c.350 AD,” fall 2008, six lectures.
"Art History 101: Part Two, Renaissance to Today," spring 2008, six lectures.
"Art History 101: Part One, Prehistory through the Middle Ages," fall/winter 2007/08, six lectures.
“Great Museums: Vienna, Prague, Munich, Berlin," spring 2007, four lectures.
"Italian Genius: Renaissance Painters and Sculptors," spring 2007, eight lectures.
"Murals and Mosaics in Great Spaces," fall 2006, five lectures.
"Great Chinese Museums: Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei," fall 2006, five lectures.
"Visiting Artists' Homes: Part Two, France," spring 2006, four lectures.
"Great European Museums: Vienna, Prague, Munich, Berlin," spring 2006, four lectures.
"Visiting Artists' Homes: Part One, Italy," fall 2005, four lectures.
"Murals and Mosaics in Great Spaces," fall 2005, seven lectures.
"Great Castles of Great Britain: From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth I," spring 2005, five lectures.
"Visiting Artists' Homes: Part Three, Germany, The Low Countries, and England," spring 2005, four lectures.
"Architecture: From Florence's Duomo to the Empire State Building," fall 2004, four lectures.
"Visiting Artists' Homes: Part Two, France," fall 2004, four lectures.
"Architecture: From Stonehenge to Notre-Dame," spring 2004, four lectures.
"Visiting Artists' Homes: Part One, Italy," spring 2004, four lectures.
"Sicily's Seductive Splendors," fall 2003, five lectures.
"Gothic Grandeur," fall 2003, nine lectures.
"Medieval and Renaissance Châteaux of France," spring 2003, five lectures.
"Sicily's Seductive Splendors," spring 2003, five lectures.
"Italian Genius: Renaissance Painters," fall 2002, five lectures.
"Masterpieces of Western Architecture," fall 2002, eight lectures.
"The Medieval Artist at Work: Materials, Methods, and Masterpieces," spring 2002, four lectures.
"The Romanesque Realm: Masterpieces of the Middle Ages," spring 2002, eight lectures.
"Italy's Amazing Architecture: From the Pantheon to Saint Peter's," fall 2001, four lectures.
"The Medieval Artist at Work: Materials, Methods, and Masterpieces," fall 2001, eight lectures.
"Art and Politics through the Ages," spring 2001, four lectures.
"Italy's Amazing Architecture: From the Pantheon to Saint Peter’s," spring 2001, eight lectures.
"Art and Literature: The Renaissance," fall 2000, four lectures, with Robert DiYanni.
"Art and Politics through the Ages," fall 2000, six lectures.
"Van Eyck, van der Weyden, Memling, Holbein," spring 2000, four lectures.
"Châteaux and Castles of the Renaissance: French Fantasies and English Extravaganzas," spring 2000, ten lectures.
"Art and Literature: One Thousand Years," fall 1999, four lectures, with Robert DiYanni.
"Medieval and Renaissance Castles of Belgium," fall 1999, five lectures.
"The Body Beautiful: Changing Ideals from Prehistory to the Present," spring 1999, four lectures.
"The Northern Renaissance: An Enchanted Era," spring 1999, eight lectures.
"Italian Genius: Early Renaissance Painters and Sculptors," fall 1998, five lectures.
"The Body Beautiful: Changing Ideals from Prehistory to the Present," fall 1998, six lectures.
"Masterpieces of the Middle Ages: The Romanesque Realm," spring 1998, three lectures.
"Gothic Grandeur," spring 1998, nine lectures.
"Bosch, Dürer, Bruegel," fall 1997, three lectures.
"Italian Genius: Renaissance Painters and Sculptors," fall 1997, eight lectures.
"Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings," spring 1997, four lectures.
"Masterpieces of the Middle Ages: The Romanesque Realm," spring 1997, eight lectures.
"Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo," fall 1996, three lectures.
"Italy’s Amazing Architecture: From the Pantheon to Saint Peter’s," fall 1996, eight lectures.
"Châteaux and Castles: Abridged," spring 1996, two lectures.
"Châteaux and Castles of the Renaissance: French Fantasies and English Extravaganzas," spring 1996, ten lectures.
"The Northern Renaissance: An Enchanted Era," fall 1995, eight lectures.
"Medieval Magnificence: The Opulent Arts," spring 1995, eight lectures.
"The Italian Renaissance: Glory and Grandeur," fall 1994, eight lectures.
"Great Gothic Cathedrals," spring 1994, eight lectures.
"Medieval Magnificence: Romanesque Masterpieces," fall 1993, six lectures.
"Great Castles of Great Britain: From William the Conqueror to Elizabeth I," spring 1993, five lectures.
"Noah’s Ark: The Medieval Menagerie," fall 1992, five lectures.
"In Pursuit of Perfection: The Art of Ancient Greece," spring 1992, seven lectures.
"The Renaissance of Northern European Painting," fall 1991, six lectures.
"Medieval and Renaissance Châteaux of France," spring 1991, five lectures (sign language interpreted).
"Italian Genius: Painters of Renaissance Italy," fall 1990, six lectures.
"Romanesque Rendezvous," spring 1990, eight lectures.
"Great Gothic Cathedrals," fall 1989, eight lectures.
"Elegant Attire in the Middle Ages," spring 1989, ten lectures.
"Medieval and Renaissance Châteaux of France," fall 1988, five lectures.
"The Medieval Menagerie: Animals in the Art of the Middle Ages," spring 1988, five lectures.
Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Katonah, NY
"Hieronymus Bosch: Mesmerized by Monsters," 2003.
"Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Mantegna," 2002.
"Raphael: Renaissance Gentleman," 2001.
"Leonardo da Vinci: Art and Science Unite," 2000.
"Michelangelo," 1999.
"Medieval and Renaissance Art," 1990, ten lectures.
"Clothing the Court: Elegant Attire in the Late Middle Ages," 1989.
"Symbolism of Animal Imagery," 1988, for Caramoor's docent-training program.
"German Renaissance Sculpture at Caramoor," 1987.
Additionally, I have lectured for the Fulbright Association, Yale University, New Haven; Morgan Stanley, New York; Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach; College Endowment Association, Milwaukee; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; College of Staten Island, New York; Church of Saint James, New York; Greenwich Antiques Society, Greenwich, CT; Newark Cathedral, Newark; and elsewhere in the US and abroad.
LECTURE SERIES AND INDIVIDUAL LECTURES PRESENTED IN EUROPE AND ASIA
“Treasures of the Alps: Swiss Trains and Italy’s Lake District,” May 29-June 11, 2025, four lectures
“A River Cruise through Burgundy and Provence,” July 8-16, 2025, three lectures
“The Life and Work of Vincent van Gogh in France,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, May 29-June 4, 2024, three lectures.
“The Italian Riviera: One-Week Stay on the Ligurian Coast,” June 10-18, 2023, four lectures
“Great European Journey,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2022, several lectures.
“France through the Ages,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2019, four lectures.
“London: One-Week Stay in England,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2018, three lectures.
“Great European Journey,” Smithsonian Institution trip, 2018, two lectures.
“Medieval Menagerie: Animals in the Art of the Middle Ages” (with translator), China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, 2018.
“Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings” (with translator), China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, 2018.
“Andy Warhol: King of Pop,” Nanjing University, China, 2018.
“Georgia O’Keeffe and American Modernism,” Nanjing University, China, 2018.
“Georgia O’Keeffe and American Modernism,” American Embassy, Beijing, China, 2018.
“Andy Warhol: King of Pop,” Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2018.
“Elements of Art,” Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2018.
“Winslow Homer,” Fulbright lecture, American Consulate, Shanghai, China, 2018.
“Winslow Homer,” Fulbright lecture, Shanghai University, China, 2018.
“Saint Petersburg and the Baltics,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2017, four lectures.
“Essence of London,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2017, three lectures.
“London to London,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, Regent Seven Seas cruise, 2016, four lectures.
“Monte Carlo to Barcelona,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, Regent Seven Seas cruise, 2016, four lectures.
“Waterways of France: A Cruise from Provence to Normandy,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2016, several lectures.
“Southern France: From the Pyrenees to Provence and the Cote d’Azur,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2015, four lectures.
“Paris: City of Light,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2015, four lectures.
“Highlights of Italy,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2015, four lectures.
“Cruising the Rivieras of Italy, France, and Spain,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2014, two lectures.
“France through the Ages,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2014, four lectures.
“Extreme Architecture: Global Ambitions and Accomplishments,” guest lecturer (with translator), Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia, fall 2012.
“Frank Lloyd Wright: Genius of 20th-Century American Architecture,” Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia, 2012.
“Medieval Mischief: Wit and Humor in the Art of the Middle Ages,” European University, St. Petersburg, Russia, 2012.
“Danube Waltz: From Passau to Budapest,” Smithsonian Journeys trip, 2012, three lectures.
“In the Land of the Tsars: Russian Winter Arts,” Metropolitan Museum of Art trip, 2011-12, three lectures.
“Dutch and Flemish Landscapes: The Netherlands and Belgium,” Metropolitan Museum of Art trip, 2010, three lectures.
“China: Horizons Along the Yangtze River," Metropolitan Museum of Art trip, 2007, four lectures.
"Ancient Towns and Adriatic Shores: Venice to Malta," Metropolitan Museum of Art trip, 2006, four lectures.
"Cruise Italy and the Dalmatian Coast," Pace University, President and alumni trip, 2006, four lectures.
"Art and Literature in Early England," Honors travel course, Pace University, 2005, many lectures.
"Princes and Palaces: Masterpieces of Northern Italy," Metropolitan Museum of Art trip, 2003, four lectures.
"Rivers of Spain and France," Metropolitan Museum of Art trip, 1998, four lectures.
"French Art and Literature," Honors travel course, Pace University, 1998, many lectures.
"Tour of Paris, the Medieval and the Modern," Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts trip, 1988, ten lectures.
GALLERY TALKS
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Since 1987: "Italian Primitives: 13th- and 14th-Century Panel Painting," "Materials and Techniques of Medieval Art," "Lives and Legends of the Saints in Medieval Art," "Highlights of the Medieval Collection," "Elegant Attire:
Costume in the Middle Ages," "Medieval Tapestries," "The Virgin Mary in Medieval Art," "Beasts and the
Medieval Imagination" "Masterpieces of Roman Wall-Painting from the First Century B.C.," "Ancient Greek Vase Painting," "Antique Anatomy: Greek and Roman Sculpture," "The Bastis Collection of Antiquities."
The Cloisters, New York, NY
Since 1986: Private tours auctioned off to benefit Adopt-a-Dog, 2016, 2015, 2014; to benefit United Way, 2004, 2003, 2002. "Highlights of the Collection" (in English and French), "Images of Nature in Medieval Art," "The Cloister from Saint-Michel-de-Cuxa," "The Unicorn Tapestries," "The Lion: King of Beasts," "Elegant Attire: Costume in the Middle Ages," "Ecclesiastical Vestments," "Beasts and the Medieval Imagination," "The Age of Chivalry," "The Four Cloisters of The Cloisters," "Changing Images of the Virgin Mary in Medieval Art."
INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF MEDIEVAL ART
Elected Director, Board of Directors, 2004-07 term; active on various committees.
ACADEMIC HONORS AND AWARDS
Fulbright Scholar Award, Graduate School of Art History, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China, Visiting Professor, spring semester 2018.
Fulbright Senior Scholar Award, Graduate School of Art History, European University, St. Petersburg, Russia, Visiting Professor, fall semester 2012.
Pace University: Golden Key Honor Society Honorary Member, 2015; Dyson College Excellence in Scholarship Award and Grant, 2011; appointed Distinguished Professor, 2004f.; Joseph E. Houle Award, Dyson Society of Fellows, 2004; Dyson College Distinguished Achievement Award for Distinguished Faculty, 2004; Fellow, Dyson College Society of Fellows; Award for Outstanding Faculty Member (selected by adult student population); numerous Scholarly Research Awards and Summer Research Grants.
Brown University: Teaching assistantships; various University scholarships and grants (Kress) entirely covered expenses of my Ph.D.
Cornell University: Dean’s List half of semesters; graduated at top of my Fine Arts class; Scholarship Room.
BROADCAST, INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, ARTICLES ABOUT MY WORK
According to Academia, as of April 15, 2024, 1,965 publications had cited my writing
Somerset House, London, interview for podcast, April 11, 2024, in the series The Process, The Darker Side of Cute, conversation with the artist Sean-Kierre Lyons about their work in CUTE: An Exhibition Exploring the Irresistible Force of Cuteness in Contemporary Culture, Somerset House, London, January 25-April 14, 2024. https://channel.somersethouse.org.uk/podcasts/process/the-darker-side-of-cute
Cornellians, interviewed by Elizabeth Saulnier about my book, How to Understand Art, “Ask the Expert: ’I want to Open People’s Eyes’: Tips from an Art Historian,” online publication from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 7-page illustrated article, April 5, 2022, https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/art-historian-tips/
CBS News Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley, interviewed by Faith Salie, for program about gargoyles, October 27, 2019, available on the following links: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/this-week-on-sunday-morning-october-27-2019/# https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RmaBnm3qoU
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gargoyles-and-grotesques-get-their-closeup/
The Times (of London), telephone interview, quoted in article, “ Lessons from history as gargoyles protect Segovia Cathedral,” written by Graham Keeley, Spain Correspondent, The Times, published August 31, 2019. http://janettareboldbenton.com/Lessons%20from%20history%20as%20gargoyles%20protect%20Segovia%20Cathedral.pdf
International Center of Medieval Art, Newsletter, NY, “Teaching Medieval Art History: Essays from the Advanced School of Art and Humanities, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China, summer 2018, no. 1, 22-27, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53a4b792e4b073bf214c0e66/t/5b606813575d1f4e6b906501/1533044776077/ICMA+Newsletter_July2018.pdf
Broadcast of my lecture on Andy Warhol, presented at Tsinghua University, Beijing, 2018, watched by more than 3,600 people. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/h-2bsou72YW26O85biwNtQ
Spotlight New York, television program on NY1, interviewed by Sharon Johnson about David Hockney exhibition at Metropolitan Museum of Art, aired December 16 and 17, 2017. Video on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/248609817
Washington Post Express, “The Changing Face of Bodies,” article by Sadie Dingfelder, January 12, 2017, with 4 photos, 24.
Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings, reviewed by Glen Russell, on Goodreads, posted October 27, 2015, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1425935735?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rating.
City World Radio, invited guest on “Mia’s World,” hour-long live interview by Mia Berman about my lectures, books, travels, and life, October 22, 2015.
Huffington Post, "Wit and Wisdom from Art Historian Janetta Rebold Benton,” interview by Ellen Dobbyn-Blackmore, 2015, with photo, http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6448342.
The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts Blog, "A Brief Conversation with Dr. Janetta Rebold Benton," interview by Michael Torbet, 2015, with 4 photos. http://schimmelblog.com?p=984.
Huffington Post, "Janetta Rebold Benton: Art History Alive at Pace University," interview by Ellen Dobbyn-Blackmore and Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn, 2014, with photo.
The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts Blog, "Interview with Dr. Janetta Rebold Benton," interview by Michael Torbet, 2014, with photo.
Huffington Post, "Janetta Rebold Benton: Medieval Scholar, Modern Wit," interview by Andrew Blackmore-Dobbyn and Ellen Dobbyn-Blackmore, 2013, with photo.
"Gargoyles Strike a New Pose," interview for newspaper article about gargoyles on Oxford University's Bodleian Library, 2007.
Art of the Middle Ages, reviewed by Sarah Blick, Speculum, Medieval Academy of America, vol. 80. No. 1, January 2005, 184-186, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20463173.
Ventura County Star, interview for newspaper article about authors of textbooks, 2005.
Battery Park City Broadsheet, interview for article about "Splendor of Florence" exhibition, 2004.
Architecture magazine, New York, Special Report about Applied Brilliance Conference, Sedona, AZ (at which I was an invited speaker), 2001, 89-91, with photo.
Radio interview by Brian Zumhagen, Producer, FATHOM, for a program about gargoyles and architectural ornament, Studio 360, WNYC FM 93.9, December 23, 2000, www.studio360.org.
Greenwich Time, "Standing in the Châteaux," interview by Claire Bronson, Special Correspondent, 1999, with photo.
Holy Terrors: Gargoyles on Medieval Buildings, reviewed by Adelia V. Williams, The French Review, vol. 71, May 1998, 1077-1078, http://www.jstor.org/stable/398081.
New York Times, review of exhibition for which I was Guest Curator, Medieval Monsters: Dragons and Fantastic Creatures," 1995, with photos.
Greenwich Magazine, “Dr. Janetta Rebold Benton’s Legendary Beasts of the Middle Ages: Positively Medieval,” interview by Jane Kendall April 1995, 96-108, with many photos.
Brown University Alumni Monthly, "Of Winged Rhinoceroses," James Reinbold, brief article, 1993.
George Washington Magazine, brief article about my Medieval Menagerie book, 1993.
Greenwich Time, "Book Reflects Use of Animal Art in Middle Ages," interview by Kim Wijkstrom, Special Correspondent, 1992, with photo.
Topeka Capital-Journal, "What about a Dragon or Harpie for Pet?" article by Lisa Sodders, Staff Writer, 1992.
Greenwich News, "Art Historian Here Escapes Regularly into the Middle Ages," interview by Pam Koob, 1987, with photo.
EVALUATOR OF FULBRIGHT APPLICATIONS
Reviewer of submitted applications/proposals 2022, 2020, 2015, 2014, 2013. Interviewed applicants while in Russia, 2012.
REVIEWER
(Listed above with Articles) Review of Joseph Nigg, The Phoenix: An Unnatural Biography of a Mythical Beast, University of Chicago Press, 2016, published in IKON, 2017.
Expert reviewer of candidate for Foundation for Polish Science Prize (FNP Prize) “awarded annually to the most eminent researchers for their outstanding achievements and discoveries…in Poland,” 2015.
Expert reviewer of La Croix dans la premier art Chretien, written by Prof. Piotr Skubiszewski, for his nomination to receive the FNP Prize, awarded by the Foundation for Polish Science, Warsaw, 2011.
Book proposal reviewer for University of Chicago Press.
Book proposal reviewer for Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
PERSONAL DATA
Extensive travel in Europe and Asia. Lived in Hangzhou, China 2018; in St. Petersburg, Russia 2012; Paris, France 1981-85.
Collection of approximately 56,000 art history slides and digital images.
Collection of early northern European prints, including Heinrich Aldegrever, Albrecht Altdorfer, Hans Sebald Beham, Jacques Callot, Lucas Cranach the Elder, Albrecht Dürer, Lucas van Leyden.
Do much of the photography for my books and lectures.
MEMBERSHIPS
College Art Association; Early Book Society; Fulbright Association; Guggenheim Museum of Art; International Center of Medieval Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museum of Modern Art; Whitney Museum of American Art; Bruce Museum. [May 25, 2024]