Judith Wechsler, Art Historian and Filmmaker
“Walter, let’s go for a walk.”
We all have a mentor. Someone who once extended a hand and took you through a door that suddenly materialized, suddenly unlocked. Mine was Judith Wechsler. At the time, I was a twenty-two-year-old graduate student, whatever shade comes before green, in the art history department at Tufts University. I had no idea how completely it would wring me dry. And then replenish me with something new.
This was largely because of Judith. She was warm, and welcoming. But she was also demanding. You couldn’t bullshit her with a flowery interpretation that wasn’t rooted in rigor. You had to show your work.
Judith is an art historian, filmmaker, writer, researcher, Francophile, and leading expert on Paul Cezanne and Honoré Daumier. She’s the daughter of a major religious philosopher. Her resume reads like a who’s who of 20th century art historians – Meyer Shapiro, Linda Nochlin, Leo Steinberg, Gershom Sholem. Her films tell the story of 20th century Europe, image by image.
And she was my advisor. And she’s now a dear friend. Hers is the voice that lingers in my head, reminding me to show my work. Her background in dance and filmmaking speak to someone who, like me, sees art and art history as something that can be understood not just academically, but creatively, and interpreted creatively. You just need to make sure there’s a net below that cliff to catch you.
This one is deeply personal. It was recorded inside her Cambridge apartment, lined with old books and rare prints, an art historian’s story looking back at her life. And it’s the story of a student, and her teacher, and the questions and answers that craft our journeys, no matter where we are in them, or how close they are to the end.
Images referenced:
Links:
Excerpt from Judith’s book, A Human Comedy: Physiognomy and Caricature in 19th Century Paris
Music Used:
The Blue Dot Sessions, “A Little Powder,” “Basketliner”
