For MA student Daniel Amstutz, art history is often best explored through relational, experiental, and first-person approaches. His current research seeks to add to the scholarship of late-nineteenth century American artists working in Venice, through a broader contextualizing of the influences that affected their work. Supported by a departmental research travel grant, he visited Venice and surrounding islands in November 2025 to gain first-hand experience of the city’s character and study the revival of glass art on the nearby island of Murano.
View across the Venetian Lagoon from Castello at dusk.
Artists like James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent spent months at a time in Venice—depicting the city as they experienced it. An extended stay in the city allowed Daniel a chance to experience a depth of the city that would be impossible in a few days. In his words, “Encountering similar highs and lows to those of artists, writers, and thinkers of the time was powerfully compelling. I walked along the same paths that anthropologist Lewis H. Morgan claimed were spared from the cacophony prevalent in large cities. I also confronted the same crowds, mosquitos, and poor air quality that Henry James found so irksome.”
View of Calle de l’Anzolo, Venice.
While visiting the Glass Museum on Murano, he was able to spend time combing through their library and chat with the curator, Mauro Stocco, about the history and future of Muranese glass art. “Venetian glass really is something that needs seen in person,” noted Daniel. The specific composition of the glass and the techniques developed in the lagoon allowed the glassworkers to create intricate, layered patterns and sculptural detail that cannot be truly rendered in a photograph or writing.
Crystal cross-linked goblet with geese by Fratelli Toso, 1864–1867.
Large cup with glass cover by Salviati & C.
(1872–1877) or Fratelli Toso (late-19th century)
The direct, immediate experience of and engagement with the city of Venice will be invaluable for Daniel’s qualifying paper as well as his ongoing interest in the intersections of art, art history, and philosophy.
View along Riva Longa, Murano.
The project’s initial stages involved setting up the excavation site and estimating the location of the old Roman wall. The located wall was in much better condition than expected – walls from the early Roman period are usually better cut than those from later periods and were almost always repurposed for other structures. Excavation continued to the lower layers where the digging ran close to bedrock and the wall’s foundation could be identified, which took most of the remaining time that had been allotted for the dig. The excavation team had other projects running alongside the primary excavation, which members of the crew assisted with as needed.
