Jane Block
Head Librarian, Ricker Library of Architecture and Art
208 Architecture
608 E Lorado Taft Dr.
Champaign, IL 61820
217.333.0224
block3@uiuc.edu
Previous Position(s)
- 1984-1988: Bibliographer, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University.
- 1984: Lecturer in Art History, Rhode Island School of Design.
- 1983-1984: Fine Arts Librarian, Boston Public Library.
- 1980-1983: Assistant Professor, U. of Wisconsin/Milwaukee.
- 1978-1980: Curator of Visual Services, Harvard University.
Education
- 1980 - Ph.D. in 19th- and 20th- Century Art: University of Michigan.
- 1983 - M.S. in Library and Information Science: Simmons College.
- 1973 - B.A.: Vassar College.
Research Interests
Neo-Impressionist portraiture.
Awards and Distinctions
Awards
- Awarded the rank of Officier de l'ordre de Léopold, (2008).
- Awarded the Andrew S.G.Turyn Endowed Professorship, (2006).
- Granted a zero time appointment in the Art History Department, (2005).
- Served as a member of International jury to award Francqui Fondation prize of 100,000 Euros for the Humanities & Social Sciences, Brussels, (2004).
- Appointment as Associate to the Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois, (2001).
- Election as Associate Member to the Académie Royale des sciences, des lettres & des beaux-arts de Belgique, History and Criticism Division, (2001).
- Participant in exchange between UIUC and the Catholic University of Leuven, (1997).
Grants Awarded
- 1989-1990, 1992-1994, 1996-2000, 2002-2005: Arnold O. Beckman Research Grant, University of Illinois Research Board.
- 1991, 1992, 1996: International Research Support in the Humanities and Arts, University of Illinois.
- 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2006: Library Research and Publication Grants, University of Illinois.
- 1995: Fulbright-Hays Research Grant for study in Belgium.
- 1991: Rutgers University Research Grant, Zimmerli Art Museum.
Recent Publications
Articles
- Block, Jane. " Théo Van Rysselberghe." Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide, (Spring 2007).
- Block, Jane. “Guillaume Van Strydonck: a Belgian artist in India, (1891-1896).” The Burlington Magazine, (March 2004): pp. 157-164.
- Block, Jane. "The Insel-Verlag Zarathustra: An Untold Tale of Art and Printing." Pantheon, 45 (1987): 129-137.
- Block, Jane. "A Study in Belgian Neo-Impressionist Portraiture." The Art Institute of Chicago Museum Studies, 13 (Spring 1987): 36-51.
- Block, Jane. "The Insel-Verlag Edition of Nietzsche's Also Sprach Zarathustra." The Princeton University Library Chronicle, 46 (Spring 1985): 321-323.
Books
- Block, Jane and Cederholm, Theresa Dickason, 2005. The Battle to Bring Modernism to New England: History and Exhibition Record of The Boston Society of Independent Artists, 1927-1961, Falk Art Reference.
- Block, Jane, 2000. Gisbert Combaz (1869-1914): Fin-de-siècle artist, University of Washington Press.
- Block, Jane, 1992. Homage to Brussels: The Art of Belgian Posters, 1895-1915, Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum.
- Block, Jane, 1984. Les XX and Belgian Avant-gardism, 1868-1894, UMI Research Press.
Book Chapters
- Block, Jane, 2005. “Au-delà de Paris: le néo-Impressionnisme en Belgique et en Hollande.” in Néo-Impressionnisme: Seurat à Klee, (pp. 24-33).
- Block, Jane, 2005. “Félicien Rops, La Tentation de Saint Antoine.” in Cent Trésors de la Bibiliothèque Royale de Belgique, (pp.85-86).
- Block, Jane, 2005. “Armand Rassenfosse et les Etats-Unis.” in Armand Rassenfosse, (pp. 191-200).
- Block, Jane, 2002. “Seurat, Signac and the Vingtistes: Diffusion and transformation of Neo-Impressionism in Belgium, 1886-1893.” in Neo-Impressionism, (pp. 248-264).
- Block, Jane, 2001. “Los Veinte: ‘Los Portadores de Lo Nuevo’ y el Nacimiento del Arte Moderno en Bélgica.” in Los XX: El Nacimiento de la Pintura Moderna en Bélgica, (pp. 55-89).
- Block, Jane, 2000. "Portrait of Marguerite van Mons and La Lecture." in the Liber Amicorum entitled 200 Jaar Verzamelen: Collectieboek Museum voor Schone Kunsten Gent for the Ghent Museum’s bicentenary, (pp. 195-201).
- Block, Jane, 1997. "Le Carrousel et le monde de la fête foraine." in Georges Lemmen, 1865-1916, (pp. 68-79).
- Block, Jane, 1993. "Book Design among the Vingtistes: the work of Lemmen, Van de Velde and Van Rysselberghe at the fin-de-siècle." in Les XX and the Belgian Avant-Garde: Prints, Drawings, and Books ca 1890, (pp. 98-125). The Flemish edition, 1992, "Boekdesign bij Les Vingt: Het Werk van Lemme, Van de Velde en Van Rysselberghe tijdens het Fin de siècle." in Les Vingt en de avant-garde in Belgie: Prenten, tekeningen en boeken, (72-98).
- Block, Jane, 1993. "The many faces of Théo van Rysselberghe: The Genesis of a Neo-Impressionist Portrait Painter." in Retrospective Théo van Rysselberghe, (pp. 5-25).
- Block, Jane, 1987. "A Neglected Collaboration: Van de Velde, Lemmen and the Diffusion of the Belgian Style." in The Documented Image: Visions in Art History, (pp. 147-164).
- Block, Jane, 1980. "Les Vingt: Forum of the Avant-garde." in Belgian Art 1880-1914, (pp. 17-40).
Other Publications
- Block, Jane, 2008. Edmond Picard et la Maison d’Art. Manuscript, to be published by the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, to commemorate international symposium on Siegfried Bing et la Belgique.
Recent Presentations
- Block, Jane. "Belgian Hollidays: A Tour of 19th century masterworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art." Endowed Series for Museum Docents, Indianapolis Museum of Art: October 17, 2007.
- Block, Jane. "Edmond Picard et la Maison d’art." Siegried Bing Symposium, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique: May 11, 2006.
- Block, Jane. “Paul Signac et la Belgique: la diffusion de l’évangile néo-impressionniste.” Signac retrospective, Grand Palais, Paris: May 2, 2001.
- Block, Jane. “Gisbert Combaz, artiste fin-de siècle.” Opening of the Combaz Exhibition, Royal Library, Brussels: September 16, 1999.
- Block, Jane. “Le point et la courbe: le néo-impressionnisme et l’Art nouveau: Paris-Bruxelles comme carrefour stylistique.” Paris-Bruxelles: Bruxelles-Paris, Grand Palaris, Paris: May 14, 1997.
Professional Service
- American Library Association.
- College and Research Libraries.
- Art Librarians Association of North America.
- College Art Association.
- 19th Century Art Historians.
- Society of Architectural Historians.
- Southeast Society of Architectural Historians.
University Library