Background
Brendel, Otto Johannes was born on October 10, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. Son of Randolf and Mathilde (Gareis) Brendel.
anthropologist archaeologist art historian university professor
Brendel, Otto Johannes was born on October 10, 1901 in Nuremberg, Germany. Son of Randolf and Mathilde (Gareis) Brendel.
In 1928 he received his Doctor of Philosophy from the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg under Ludwig Curtius on the topic of Roman iconography of the Augustan period. While at Heidelberg, Brendel studied with the leading minds of his day: Franz Boll (1867-1924), Alfred von Domaszewski (1856-1927), Friedrich Karl von Duhn (1851-1930), Richard Carl Meister (1848-1912), and Eugen Täubler (1879-1953). The literary theorist Ernst Robert Curtius (1886-1956), Friedrich Gundolf (1880-1931), Karl Jaspers (1883-1969), the classical art historians Karl Lehmann and Friedrich Zimmer.
He emigrated to the United States in 1938. In the United States, he taught at various schools, including: Washington University in Saint Louis (1938-1941). Indiana University (1941-1956).
In 1956 he became Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University, and became emeritus in 1963, continuing to teach until his retirement in June 1973.
He died that September. At the time of his death he had completed the manuscript for the Pelican History of Art volume on Etruscan Art and it was published in 1978.
His influential work Prolegomena to the Study of Roman Art represents an important scholarly approach to the historiography of Roman art One of Brendel"s students was Larissa Bonfante.
Brendel married Maria Weigert Brendel (1902-1994) in 1929.
Brendel"s daughter Cornelia Brendel Foss was married to American composer Lukas Foss.
Fellow German Archaeological Institute, American Academy Rome. Member Archaeological Institute American, College Art Association, Renaissance Society American Special research Greek, Etruscan and Roman art and archaeology, ancient religion classical survivals in Renaissance and later art
Married Maria Weigert, February 9, 1929.