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Andrew StewartNicholas C. Petris Professor of Greek Studies, History of Art and Classics |
Andrew Stewart, Nicholas C. Petris Professor of Greek Studies, History of Art and Classics, is Co-Curator of Greek and Roman Antiquities of the Phoebe Apperson Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Stewart is one of the most highly regarded historians of Greek art in the world. His nomination for this award was organized by his graduate and undergraduate students, numbers of whom go with him to do field work at a major excavation in Tel Dor, Israel. In evaluations, students regularly cite how rigorous Stewart’s expectations are, and how he encourages them to work beyond what seems their capacity—but also that they feel rewarded rather than overwhelmed. “If his expectations for students are high,” says a current graduate student,” his own thoroughness, innate curiosity, and intellectual integrity are inspirational.” The Committee noted that Stewart is not simply teaching in the classroom but also training scholars in the field, beginning when they are undergraduates.
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
A humanities education should not only encourage the mastery of a field of knowledge but also promote the critical and integrative thinking that is fundamental to one's intellectual development and personal growth. My responsibility is to help students achieve these goals by generating enthusiasm for my field and by engaging them constructively with it, thus actively facilitating both their education and personal development. To understand ancient art, however, requires a command (at some level) both of the artwork's entire history from excavation through interpretation, and of the culture that created it. My teachers at Cambridge, Rome, and Athens taught me some of this, but the rest I've acquired on my own; over the past four decades I've striven to pass as much of it as possible on to my students, according to their needs and status in the program. Accordingly, I cultivate an interdisciplinary approach that uses a mixture of art-historical, archaeological, sociopolitical, and text-based methods of engaging with the artworks and their parent cultures. This is a direct result both of my shift in the '60s and '70s from ancient historian to classical archaeologist to art historian, and of my ongoing love affair with Greek literature-a passion sustained here by my 30-year membership of the Berkeley Greek Club, in whose warm fortnightly company I've read literally dozens of Greek texts.
Here is a baker's dozen of dos and don'ts that I apply in my own teaching: Contextualize, contextualize, contextualize-but always begin and end with the artwork. New discoveries happen all the time and invigorate the field: discuss newly discovered work whenever possible. Show the best images possible: anything less denigrates the artwork and shortchanges the student. Show new images and unusual close-ups (especially your own slides) whenever possible: these de-familiarize the artworks, keep them fresh, and show that you're no armchair academic but know the material firsthand. Quote relevant passages from ancient texts for contemporary and perhaps unexpected takes on the subject. Think on your feet: if you notice something new or puzzling while lecturing, share it with the class. Ask questions and seek opinions from the students; encourage them to challenge received dogma and to look and think critically for themselves. Use humor when appropriate (usually ad hoc one-liners) to drive home your points (and keep the class awake). Prepare classes one semester in advance to give time for reflection, editing, and finding new images. Give each lecture an overarching theme. Give the class a comprehensive syllabus and slide list at the beginning to make expectations clear and to serve as a guide to the images. Work closely with your GSIs and visit their sections at least once (twice for beginners), to give feedback and measure progress. Never give a bad lecture twice.
In conclusion, at every level I teach, from undergraduates to advanced graduate students, I try to foster a number of key elements essential to the learning process: enthusiasm; engagement; effective research techniques; ability to communicate complex ideas both orally and in writing; and perhaps most importantly, analytical and critical processes that challenge received wisdom.