A Life in Art History and Curation
Sherman Lee was an American academic, writer, art historian, and an expert on Asian art. His distinguished career included serving as the Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1958 to 1983. Before his leadership in Cleveland, he held several significant roles, including serving as the Curator of Far Eastern Art at the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1941. Following his military service, he worked as the associate director of the Seattle Art Museum and taught at the University of Washington. His expertise was such that he advised Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller on the development of their collection of Asian art.
During World War II, Lee served in the United States Naval Reserve. In 1946, he was transferred to the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) program in Japan. As a civilian adviser to the staff of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Tokyo, he worked on the cataloging, preservation, and protection of Japanese artworks. His work involved the protection of registered cultural property and the encouragement of living artists.
Academic Background and Legacy
Lee’s academic foundation was built through his studies in the United States, where he earned his B.A. and M.A. at American University in Washington, D.C., and later received his PhD from Western Reserve University in 1941. After his retirement from the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1983, he continued his connection to academia as an adjunct professor of art history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
His contributions to the field of art history are reflected in several notable publications, including:
