Vincent Scully: Art Historian Among Architects

A celebration of the career of the popular professor who retired from his teaching position at Yale in 2009 at the age of 89, Edgar Howard's documentary mixes recollections by Vincent Scully with testimonials from former students (such as historian David McCullough) who recall his courses—particularly an introductory class in art history that some took more than once for the sheer joy of it—as being the most important experience in their intellectual formation. What emerges is a portrait of an extraordinary teacher whose breadth of knowledge, not only of the visual arts but of literature and history as well, was matched by a gifted ability to convey his enthusiasm to others. Using stills and archival footage, Howard also emphasizes how Scully's research—most notably on Greek temples and their surroundings—informed and deepened his lectures; ways in which his writings affected architectural practice, most significantly in his identification of what he called the Shingle Style in late-19th-century American building; and how his advocacy was crucial to the careers of influential architects like Louis Kahn. But perhaps what emerges most powerfully is Scully's intense connection with Yale, where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees and spent virtually his entire career. The scenes with Scully walking about the campus—discussing its buildings, artworks, and former students—suggest a relationship between man and institution that makes him seem like a modern Mr. Chips. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)