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Cambridge University has made Julianna Struck ’03 (Mount Laurel, N.J.) one of just a half-dozen students worldwide who have been accepted into its art history graduate studies program this year.
Struck graduated magna cum laude from Lafayette in December with a bachelor’s degree while majoring in art. She plans to earn a master of philosophy degree in the history of art and architecture at Cambridge, remaining there to pursue a Ph.D. in the subject.
She will continue research on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) that she began as an independent study with Diane Cole Ahl, Rothkopf Professor of Art History at Lafayette (see related story).
“Alma-Tadema was one of the most well known artists in Britain before World War I, and his works are some of the most technically exquisite to come out of the Victorian era,” says Struck, who studied in Italy for two semesters. “I am intrigued by the profound influence his travels in Italy had on his painting. He was one of the first artists to see the ruins of Pompeii. With his own creative interpretations, he shaped the impressions that the discovery had on people in Britain, helping to set trends and develop tastes and sensibilities that now distinguish the Victorian legacy.”
Struck notes that “to study Victorian art you need to be on site — that way you can see everything in context. I really need to be in Europe to be studying what I’m studying. I’ll have access to collections that most people won’t, and I’m sure I’ll be in Italy quite a bit to go to the archives there.”
During her stay abroad, Struck studied art and architecture in Florence and visited Pompeii and Rome several times. She led tours of Villa d’Este in Tivoli and was an English tutor at University of Florence.
“The experience taught me the necessity of viewing works of art in person,” she says. “But it was the enthusiasm and instruction of Professor Ahl and [Metzgar Professor and head of art] Robert Mattison that led me to the decision to pursue a graduate degree.”
Struck says Lafayette prepared her to face the challenges of scholarly research and writing and to appreciate the impact of dynamic, knowledgeable professors.
“My undergraduate years were spent with the best,” she says. “I loved being in Italy for a year, but when I got back it was amazing to be able to work with Professor Ahl and Professor Mattison. I can’t say enough about them.”
“Lafayette is different from any of the bigger schools you go to,” continues Struck. “It’s a one-on-one experience that you can’t have at a bigger school. The professors want to be involved with your work. And the college’s proximity to major cities and resources presents many opportunities. Students can easily travel to New York, Philadelphia, or Allentown for concerts, operas, exhibits, and shows and can take advantage of libraries and museums at nearby institutions. I couldn’t have picked a better school to study art.”
Applying to graduate school was made easier, says Struck, by the guidance of professors and the Dean of Studies Office.
“It made me realize more than at any other time during my undergraduate study the invaluable resources Lafayette offers its students.”
Duncan Robinson, director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, will be Struck’s supervisor for her research on Alma-Tadema and Victorian Art when she heads to Cambridge in September.
Struck, who says she can’t wait to get back to Europe, is already thinking ahead to her dissertation, for which she plans on linking Italian and Victorian studies. She also hopes to work while abroad to gain experience.
Since her early graduation, Struck has been working for Kathryn Hiesinger, the curator of European decorative art and sculpture after 1700, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where she interned last summer.
“I’m learning so much. You really learn all the ropes and get to know people in other departments, because you can’t get a large exhibition done without going through all the proper channels,” explains Struck, who helping to research and catalog items for a big exhibition set to open in 2007.
“It is wonderful to put into practice some of the concepts I learned at Lafayette and in my studies abroad,” she adds. “I am grateful to all of the wonderful professors and advisers at Lafayette who helped me get to this point.”
Struck plays piano, flute, and percussion, and was conductor of Pep Band. She participated in intramural volleyball, was a member of the College Arts Society, and served as head usher and box office clerk for the Williams Center for the Arts. She also belonged to a cancer support group and taught the benefits of acupuncture.