Petra ten-Doesschate Chu, born in Zeist, the Netherlands, in 1942. Ph.D. from Columbia University, New York City. Professor of Art History at Seton Hall University, South Orange.
Fellow (1 February 2004 – 30 June 2004)
THE HISTORY OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY THINKING ABOUT VISUAL MEMORY IN RELATION TO ART
During my stay at NIAS, I completed a book manuscript entitled “The Proudest and Most Arrogant Man in France: Courbet and the Nineteenth-Century Media Culture”, which was contracted with Princeton University Press. I also completed two articles, a book proposal (Prentice Hall), and a book review, and I have gathered and read the materials that form the foundations of a new project related to the role of visual memory in the creative process. NIAS’s assistance has been indispensable to the completion of these tasks, not only for its gift of five months of ‘open’ time in the most ideal surroundings, but also for the help of various kinds provided by the staff. The contact with other fellows has been inspirational on many levels. I have also used my time in the Netherlands to reconnect with people in my field and to make a number of new contacts. In addition, I have visited and revisited many museums, both in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe, which will be helpful both for my teaching and for future research.