Elise Traunstein Grilli (August 4, 1906 – November 13, 1969), born Elsa Traunstein, was an American art critic, professor, columnist, and lecturer based in Japan from 1947 to 1969.

Early life and education

Traunstein was born in Austria, and raised in the New Jersey, the daughter of Herman Traunstein. She graduated from

Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...

in 1929, and completed a master's degree at

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1932. In college she was assistant editor of the ''Barnard Bulletin'', and won an essay contest sponsored by the

College Art Association The College Art Association of America (CAA) is the principal organization in the United States for professionals in the visual arts, from students to art historians to emeritus faculty. Founded in 1911, it "promotes these arts and their understan ...

. She also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris.

Career

Grilli moved to Japan with her family after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when her husband worked with the Allied Occupation Forces in Tokyo. She was a professor of art at

Sophia University Sophia University (Japanese language, Japanese: 上智大学, ''Jōchi Daigaku''; Latin: ''Universitas Sedis Sapientiae'') is a private List of Jesuit educational institutions, Jesuit research university in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1913 by ...

, and wrote art reviews for ''

The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

'', an English-language daily newspaper. She lectured and organized lectures on art for the International Art Society in Tokyo. In 1964 Grilli was a visiting lecturer in East Asian art at

Earlham College Earlham College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Indiana. The college was established in 1847 by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and has a strong focus on Quake ...

in Indiana, and organized an exhibit of her own collection of Japanese art at the campus. In 1965 and 1966 she made a lecture tour in Europe and the Middle East. She lectured about art in Hawaii in 1966. She also taught at UCLA.

John Canaday John Edwin Canaday (February 1, 1907 – July 19, 1985) was a leading American art critic, author and art historian. Early life and education John Canaday was born in Fort Scott, Kansas, to Franklin and Agnes F. (Musson) Canaday. His family mo ...

of ''The New York Times'' ''Book Review'' called Grilli's ''The Art of the Japanese Screen'' "the best art book to have come my way in 1970".

Publications

* Kakuzo Okakura, ''The Book of Tea'' (1956, foreword and biographical sketch) * "

Saburo Hasegawa was a Japanese-born American calligrapher, painter, art writer, curator, and teacher. He was an early advocate of abstract art in Japan and an equally vocal supporter of the Japanese traditional arts (Japanese calligraphy, ikebana, tea ceremony, ...

as a Leader of Modern Art in Japan" (1957) * ''Japanese Picture Scrolls'' (1959) * ''

Sharaku was a Japanese ukiyo-e print designer, known for his portraits of kabuki actors. Neither his true name nor the dates of his birth or death are known. His active career as a woodblock artist spanned ten months; his prolific work met disapprova ...

'' (1959) * "Art Exhibitions in Tokyo" (1959) * "Gloomy Show by Kodo, Nika" (1959) * "New Trends in Japanese Painting" (1960) * ''Golden Screen Paintings of Japan'' (1961) * "Hidai: Ancient Ink in a New Guise" (1965) *''The Art of the Japanese Screen'' (1970)

Personal life

Traunstein married Italian-born music critic Marcel F. Grilli. They had two children, Peter and Diana. She died from a liver disease in Los Angeles, in 1969, at the age of 63.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grilli, Elise 1906 births 1969 deaths American art historians Barnard College alumni Columbia University alumni