Lynn Catterson

SHE IS THE BEST TEACHER! If you have the opportunity to take this course, even if you are not an art history major, DO IT!!!! She is the nicest human and extremely supportive teacher. YOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS!!!!

Professor Catterson was the most incredible, passionate and knowledgeable professor that I've had at Columbia. She enthusiastically imparted her love of art and history to everyone in my Art Hum class. She was able to engage everyone in the discussion about art and really forced me to think critically about art history. Our class visit to a museum was one of the most enlightening experiences of my Columbia career. Additionally, the research project was thought-provoking and challenging, but I really enjoyed it. Professor Catterson was very supportive in finding a topic of interest and guiding my research. I have utilized many of the tools that I learned in Art Hum for subsequent research papers in other courses. After completing Art Hum with Prof. Catterson, I pursued two semesters of independent research projects with her. Prof. Catterson constantly inspired and encouraged me to think in a creative way and pursue research in an active way, until I had completed all possible research on a topic. I would highly recommend Prof. Catterson to anyone who is looking for an engaging experience!

Lynn is 15 kinds of awesome. I'm a complete art history neophyte who stepped into an advanced course, and she bent over backwards to help me through. I really appreciated her great stories about her trips to Italy and anecdotes about Renaissance patrons and painters. I highly recommend signing up for anything she teaches - I know I will!

Lynn is wonderful. She's incredibly knowledgeable about Renaissance art, and while it's clearly her passion, she has a down to earth approach to it- she isn't afraid to criticize or joke about it. She's warm and funny, but don't conclude that you wont need to do any work. Though she's not a hard grader, definitely get started on the paper early, and be prepared for a lot of research. Make sure you run your topic by her, as she has a vast knowledge of useful sources and can warn you if you're topic will lead you to a dead end. This course really emphasized the history aspect of art history, with a focus on documents that pertain to the political and economic context and the works' authorship or original usage rather than theories on the meaning and achievements of the Renaissance. We also covered works, like parade ephemera, that are helpful to understanding Renaissance culture but, since now lost, infrequently covered. A really interesting course, and one from which I've learned approaches to thinking about and researching the Renaissance.

Prof. Catterson is an incredibly inspiring instructor - she really encourages students to challenge themselves and is there to guide you every step of the way. After taking her class this summer (be prepared for a whirlwind of before, during and after Michelangelo)I felt like I had taken an important step: learning how to tackle and put together a good research paper. We only had one group presentation, one two-page response, and the 15-20 page paper - no midterm or final. It was very fair, but the paper must reflect a semester's worth of work. Don't wait till the end to start...

This was the best class I have taken at Columbia. Catterson was incredibly enthusiastic about the material and presented it in a very clear manner. She was extremely knowledgeable about Michelangelo and the Italian Renaissance. Catterson was also a lot of fun (she may even introduce you to Banana) and has some great stories about her adventures in Florence. The material was fascinating, particularly her discussions on restoration. I never thought I would say this but the semester was just too short. For the amount of information Catterson is walking around with a Summer Session wasn't appropriate. I also felt rushed outside of class. Our final paper and presentations required a lot of research. I would recommend this class to all art history majors and anyone else looking to become a Michelangelo expert.

THR BEST TEACHER I HAVE EVER HAD! She is very engaging in the classroom and super supportive outside the classroom. If you like art history at all, take this course!

I have never had a more supportive, enthusiastic and engaged teacher than Professor Catterson. She constantly inspired and encouraged me to think outside the box and pursue topics in an active way, to pursue a topic until my research opportunities were completely exhausted. I originally had Professor Catterson for Art Hum, a class I was excited about to begin with. But with her creative insights into the pieces of work and her inside scoops on the lives of the artists, art from as far back as the Parthenon came to life. My paper topic on Bernini proved to be one of the most fascinating research experiences of my life: Through Professor Catterson's constant encouragement, I explored Italian estate records and inventories in the basement of Avery library in order to disprove that the Bernini in the Met wasn't really done by Bernini. I then took two semesters of Independent study where Professor Catterson's creativity served as a driving and guiding force behind two equally fascinating research opportunities. But outside the classroom, Professor Catterson makes sure she is a continuing available resource to her students. When I studied abroad, I bothered Professor Catterson for recommendations for different cities I visited; she would reply with encyclopedias of what museums and cheese restaurants to visit at what time with which discounts. I recently visited Italy with my sister…

A class with Lynn Catterson is one of those experiences that you rave about for your entire Columbia career. Teaching a class on one of the Italian Renaissance's stars is by no means easy, even for Lynn who, as of late, has become a star herself in the field after some major research regarding Michelangelo's potentially dubious works (who would've thought him a forger?!). Yet each class is focused, rich with detailed information and examples and provides a clear understanding of several works and/or a time period -- and all of this is presented in an invigorating and exciting manner. In a wave, Lynn weaves a story that covers the evolution of Italian Renaissance Art, each time adding more characters, more works and more plot lines; you leave the room enlightened by her engaging talks and eager to learn what happens next in Renaissance Tuscany and Rome! But things don't stop after the 3-hour class (summer session, don't forget!). Lynn is ALWAYS in her office waiting to speak with students for hours on end, whether regarding their personal research, her opinions on work, or even favorite destinations and restaurants in Italy! She'll come in early and stay late to ensure that every studentÂ’s needs are fully met. And then thereÂ’s the special treat: Lynn invites you to her home at the beginning of the session for an amazingly fantastic and filling home-cooked dinner. The dinner c…

Second Summer Session of 05. This is a great class to take. There is a lot to learn regarding Italian history and the periods of the Renaissance, and it is all interesting and fun. Lynn has been everywhere, it seems, in Italy and there is a PPt. full of pictures for each museum and location. Lynn shared a great deal with the class about her exploits and about the star of the course, Michelangelo.