Dr. Richard Brettell, longtime professor of art and aesthetic studies in the School of Arts and Humanities and founding director of the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at The University of Texas at Dallas, passed away Friday, July 24.
“Rick was a remarkable scholar and educator and one of the leading voices in the world of art,” said UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson, who holds the Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership. “His charismatic lectures have introduced thousands to great art as has his work to build the arts culture in Dallas. No one better epitomized a life well-lived than our brilliant, adventurous friend.”
Brettell was one of the world’s foremost authorities on impressionism and French painting from 1830 to 1930 and was revered in the Dallas arts community for his leadership, vision and knowledge.