Risa Goldman McDade ’77

In my senior year, Professor Miranda Marvin and I were discussing term paper topics for my Ancient Near Eastern Art class. Wellesley owned an Assyrian relief fragment which a distinguished archaeologist claimed was a forgery. Professor Marvin thought otherwise. My challenge was to scour other articles to determine which temple and room the fragment may have come from; then compare the features of the figure (a male captive being flogged) with other Assyrian figural art.

Professor Marvin believed that my conclusions were convincing because she encouraged me to run an article in the Wellesley Friends of Art newsletter, and then submit it to a scholarly publication. While nothing came of the latter, I was thrilled that a talented professor took an interest in me and shared her excitement about claiming the authenticity of the Wellesley fragment. My memory of her radiant smile is indelible!