Christina Maranci

Last updated

Christina Maranci (born 1968) is an Armenian-American researcher, writer, translator, historian, and professor at currently serving as the Mashtots Professor of Armenian Studies at Harvard University. She is considered an expert on the history and development of Armenian architecture. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Life

Maranci was born in 1968 in the United States and grew up in Connecticut. [4] She is of Armenian descent. Her father was born in Istanbul, Turkey and her mother was born in the United States. [4] She attained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History at Vassar College in 1990. Maranci continued her education and received a master's degree at Princeton University in the Art and Archeology department. [5] She received her Ph.D. at Princeton University in the Art and Archeology department with her dissertation Medieval Armenian Architecture in Historiography: Josef Strzygowski and his Legacy. [6] She also audited courses with Nina Garsoïan at New York University. [7]

She was an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee from 2001 to 2004, and an associate professor there through 2008. From 2008 to 2016 she was an associate professor in the Department of Art and Art History at Tufts University, and from 2016 to 2022, a full professor.

In 2022 she was appointed to the Mashtots Chair of Armenian Studies at Harvard University, becoming the first woman and the first person of Armenian descent in that position. [4] She is the third holder of the chair since its inauguration 1969, after Robert W. Thomson (1969-1992), and James R. Russell (1992-2016). [8]

Notable fellowship and awards

She is featured in the 2011 book Encyclopedia of Prominent Armenian Women edited by Zori Balayan. [5] [11]

Works

Maranci's research is mainly on medieval Armenian history and the relationship with the Sasanian, Byzantine, and Islamic empires. [12] She also focuses on the problems found in modern historiography. [12] Maranci's 2001 book Medieval Armenian Architecture: Constructions of Race and Nation highlights art historian Josef Strzygowski and his important contributions and influence in the studies of Armenian architecture. [12] Her recent works focus on the Byzantine influence into Armenian art and architecture. [12] She has published A Survival Guide for Art History Students (2004), which provides Art History students with helpful assistance and information to help them when taking Art History courses. [13] The languages Maranci researches in include Italian, English, German, French, Armenian (Classical Armenian and Modern Armenian) and Greek. [5]

Maranci is also deemed as one of the world's experts and authorities on the Cathedral of Mren, an Armenian cathedral in Turkey that is on the verge of collapse. [2] [14]

Books

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory the Illuminator</span> Patron saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church (c.257–c.331)

Gregory the Illuminator was the founder and first official head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He converted Armenia from Zoroastrianism to Christianity in the early fourth century, making Armenia the first state to adopt Christianity as its official religion. He is venerated as a saint in the Armenian Apostolic Church and in some other churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josef Strzygowski</span> Polish-Austrian art historian

Josef Rudolph Thomas Strzygowski was a Polish-Austrian art historian known for his theories promoting influences from the art of the Near East on European art, for example that of Early Christian Armenian architecture on the early Medieval architecture of Europe, outlined in his book, Die Baukunst der Armenier und Europa. He is considered a member of the Vienna School of Art History.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Adontz</span> Historian

Nicholas Adontz was an Armenian historian, specialising in Byzantine and Armenian studies, and a philologist. Adontz was the author of Armenia in the Period of Justinian, a highly influential work and landmark study on the social and political structures of early Medieval Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Hripsime Church</span>

Saint Hripsime Church is a seventh century Armenian Apostolic church in the city of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin), Armenia. It is one of the oldest surviving churches in the country. The church was erected by Catholicos Komitas to replace the original mausoleum built by Catholicos Sahak the Great in 395 AD that contained the remains of the martyred Saint Hripsime to whom the church is dedicated. The current structure was completed in 618 AD. It is known for its fine Armenian-style architecture of the classical period, which has influenced many other Armenian churches since. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with other nearby churches, including Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Armenia's mother church, in 2000.

Trdat the Architect was the chief architect of the Bagratid kings of Armenia, and most notable for his design of the cathedral at Ani and his reconstruction of the dome of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Ani</span> Abandoned 11th century cathedral

The Cathedral of Ani is the largest standing building in Ani, the capital city of medieval Bagratid Armenia, located in present-day eastern Turkey, on the border with modern Armenia. Its construction was completed in the early 11th century by the architect Trdat and it was the seat of the Catholicos, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, for nearly half a century.

Ronald Grigor Suny is an American historian and political scientist. Suny is the William H. Sewell Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan and served as director of the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, 2009 to 2012 and was the Charles Tilly Collegiate Professor of Social and Political History at the University of Michigan from 2005 to 2015, and is Emeritus Professor of political science and history at the University of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toros Toramanian</span>

Toros Toramanian was a prominent Armenian architect and architectural historian. He is considered "the father of Armenian architectural historiography." Christina Maranci credited him with "establishing the practical foundation for the study of Armenian architecture with his "extensive field work, measurements, plans, and photographs."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zvartnots Cathedral</span>

Zvartnots Cathedral is a medieval Armenian cathedral near Vagharshapat (Ejmiatsin), Armenia. Built in the seventh century and now lying in ruins, Zvartnots was noted for its circular exterior structure, unique in medieval Armenian architecture, and a set of interior piers that upheld a multifloor structure crowned with a dome.

Armenian studies or Armenology is a field of humanities covering Armenian history, language and culture. The emergence of modern Armenian studies is associated with the foundation of the Catholic Mechitarist order in the early 18th century. Until the early 20th century, Armenian studies were largely conducted by individual scholars in the Armenian communities of the Russian Empire, Europe, Constantinople and Vagharshapat in Armenia. After the establishment of Soviet rule, Armenian studies, and sciences in general, were institutionalized in Armenia and put under direct control of the Academy of Sciences. Today, numerous research centers in many parts of the world specialize in Armenian studies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gavit</span> Vestibular feature of Mediaeval Armenian monastic architecture

A gavit or zhamatun is often contiguous to the west of a church in a Medieval Armenian monastery. It served as narthex, mausoleum and assembly room.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirarpie Der Nersessian</span> Armenian art historian (1896–1989)

Sirarpie Der Nersessian was an Armenian art historian, who specialized in Armenian and Byzantine studies. Der Nersessian was a renowned academic and a pioneer in Armenian art history. She taught at several institutions in the United States, including Wellesley College in Massachusetts and as Henri Focillon Professor of Art and Archaeology at Harvard University. She was a senior fellow at Dumbarton Oaks, its deputy director from 1954–55 and 1961–62, and a member of its Board of Scholars. Der Nersessian was also a member of several international institutions such as the British Academy (1975), the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres (1978), and the Armenian Academy of Sciences (1966).

Sheila S. Blair is a Canadian-born American art historian and educator. Blair has served as the dual Norma Jean Calderwood University Professor of Islamic and Asian Art at Boston College, along with her husband, Jonathan M. Bloom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathedral of Mren</span> Armenian church built in the 7th century

The Cathedral of Mren is a 7th-century Armenian church in an abandoned medieval town site called Mren. It is located in the Kars region of Turkey, near the border with Armenia, about 1.5 km west of the Akhurian River.

Leslie Brubaker is an expert in Byzantine illustrated manuscripts. She was appointed Professor of Byzantine Art at the University of Birmingham in 2005, and is now Professor Emerita. Her research interests includes female patronage, icons and the cult of the Virgin Mary. She was formerly the head of Postgraduate Studies in the College of Arts and Law, University of Birmingham. Professor Brubaker is the Chair of the Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies. Her work is widely stocked in libraries around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. Fairchild Ruggles</span> American historian

D. (Dede) Fairchild Ruggles is a historian of Islamic art and architecture, and a professor in the University of Illinois Department of Landscape Architecture. She is known for her books on Islamic gardens and landscapes, her series of edited volumes on cultural heritage, and her award-winning work in gender history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Garsoïan</span> American historian (1923–2022)

Nina G. Garsoïan was a French-born American historian specializing in Armenian and Byzantine history. In 1969 she became the first female historian to get tenure at Columbia University and, subsequently, became the first holder of Gevork M. Avedissian Chair in Armenian History and Civilization at Columbia. From 1977 to 1979, she served as dean of the Graduate School of Princeton University.

Kathryn Louise Brush is a Canadian art historian. She is Distinguished University Professor Emerita at the University of Western Ontario, and was the first professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Western Ontario to be named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Carolyn Marino Malone is an American medievalist and academic. She is professor of art history and history at USC Dornsife College, Los Angeles, California, with a PhD in Art History and Medieval Studies (1973) from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research interests are English and French Romanesque and Gothic architecture and sculpture. She has published books on sculptural finds at Canterbury Cathedral, the abbey of St Bénigne in Dijon, the façade of Wells Cathedral, and monastic life in the Middle Ages. She served as Vice-President (1996-1997) and President (1999) of Art Historians of Southern California; Domestic Advisor to the Board of Directors of the International Center of Medieval Art (1984-1987); and was on the board of directors of the Medieval Association of the Pacific (1986-1989). She is a member of the Society of Architectural Historians.

Nevra Necipoğlu is a Turkish historian of the Byzantine Empire who is a professor of history at Boğaziçi University.

References

  1. ↑ "Christina Maranci" (in Spanish). Genocidio Armenio. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 "U.S. prof. calls to save Mren Cathedral of Western Armenia". PanArmenian. February 23, 2013. Retrieved 25 February 2013. Prof. Maranci's areas of expertise include Byzantine art and architecture, and the art and architecture of the Transcaucasus - principally Armenia.
  3. ↑ "Turkey restores Armenian church to show goodwill". The International Herald Tribune. March 23, 2007. Retrieved 22 February 2013. Christina Maranci, an expert on medieval Armenian architecture at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee
  4. 1 2 3 Kezelian, Harry (2022-08-24). "Christina Maranci Brings Fresh Yet Experienced Leadership to Harvard's Armenian Studies Chair". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  5. 1 2 3 "CHRISTINA MARANCI" (PDF). Department of Art History. Tufts University. Retrieved 20 February 2013.
  6. ↑ ""Rock, Paper, Scissors: The Excavation and Reconstruction of Zvartnots" A Talk by Dr. Christina Maranci, Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Chair of Armenian Art and Architecture at Tufts University". Armenian Library and Museum of America. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Kezelian, Harry (2022-08-24). "Christina Maranci Brings Fresh Yet Experienced Leadership to Harvard's Armenian Studies Chair". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  8. ↑ Kezelian, Harry (2022-08-24). "Christina Maranci Brings Fresh Yet Experienced Leadership to Harvard's Armenian Studies Chair". The Armenian Mirror-Spectator. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  9. 1 2 "Medieval Armenian Architecture Constructions of Race and Nation". Peeters Publishers. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Former Fellows | Center for 21st Century Studies" . Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  11. ↑ Balayan, Zori (2011). Hayuhiner: Hanragitaran erku hatorov (in Armenian). Yerevan: Amaras. Title translated from Armenian: "Encyclopedia of Prominent Armenian Women"
  12. 1 2 3 4 Hovannisian, Richard G., ed. (2004). Armenian Sebastia/Sivas and Lesser Armenia. Costa Mesa, Calif.: Mazda Publ. ISBN   1568591527.
  13. ↑ Maranci, Christina (2005). A Survival Guide for Art History Students. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. ISBN   0131401971.
  14. ↑ "A Cathedral on the Verge of Collapse: The Campaign to Save Mren". Massis. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.