Michael J Lewis

Michael J. Lewis is a prominent American art historian and architectural critic, currently serving as the Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art at Williams College since 1993. His academic focus includes modern architecture, American art, and architectural criticism, and he has contributed significantly to the understanding of the relationship between architecture and culture.

Education and Career

Lewis obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Haverford College in 1979. He later pursued graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his M.A. in Art History in 1985 and his Ph.D. in 1989. His early career included positions as a visiting lecturer at Bryn Mawr College and the Canadian Centre for Architecture, prior to his long tenure at Williams College.123

Research and Publications

Lewis's research emphasizes the interplay between architecture and art within cultural contexts. His notable works include:

• The Politics of German Gothic Revival: August Reichensperger (1993), which won the Alice Davis Hitchcock Prize.
• Frank Furness: Architecture and the Violent Mind (2001), a biography that explores the life and work of the American architect.
• American Art and Architecture (2006), which critiques the separation of art and architecture as distinct genres.245

In addition to his books, Lewis is an architecture critic for The Wall Street Journal, where he regularly publishes articles that reflect on contemporary architectural issues and historical perspectives.347

Contributions and Fellowships

Throughout his career, Lewis has received several prestigious fellowships, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008, which supported his research on millennial Utopias. He has also been a Senior Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts at the National Gallery.23

Lewis's teaching includes a variety of courses on architectural theory and American art, engaging students in critical discussions about the evolution of architecture and its societal implications.36

In summary, Michael J. Lewis is a distinguished figure in the field of art history and architecture, recognized for his scholarly contributions and critical insights into the cultural dimensions of architectural practice.