It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of William W. Robinson, Maida and George Abrams curator of drawings, emeritus, at the Harvard Art Museums. Bill died in Los Angeles on 4 May 2025, at the age of 75, with his wife and two daughters by his side.

Joining CODART soon after its formation in 1998, Bill remained a long-standing member until his retirement in 2015. He attended several of our network’s early congresses, including the ones held in Amsterdam in 1999 and Antwerp in 2000.

The following in memoriam was written and shared with us by Bill’s colleagues currently at the Harvard Art Museums.

William W. Robinson (1950-2025)

Bill served as the curator of drawings at the Morgan Library and Museum from 1984-88 and the Harvard Art Museums from 1988 until his retirement in 2015. A specialist in Dutch drawings, Bill studied with Seymour Slive at Harvard and defended his dissertation on Nicolaes Maes in 1996. He served as editor of Master Drawings, the leading American journal in this area of specialization, while at the Morgan. His numerous exhibition catalogues, articles, and essays, remain foundational resources. They were written to the highest standards of scholarly excellence. A keen eye, Bill was also top of mind to ask when thorny attribution problems arose, especially when it came to the drawings of Rembrandt and his school. He worked closely with the drawings collector and Harvard alumnus, George Abrams, and even cultivated his own collections in several areas, including late nineteenth-century Dutch art and historic medals. During the 2014 renovation and expansion of the Harvard Art Museums, he served as a leading curatorial voice and was a key visionary in the development of the enormously successful Art Study Center, where visitors can view objects in the collection by appointment.

The dedication, integrity, scholarship, and keen eye that he brought to his position made their mark on all aspects of our continuing work with drawings. The many opportunities we are able to extend to our students and fellows would not exist without Bill’s vision and energy. He grew the collection so it reflects more fully the history of European drawing; he linked up with contemporary artists to demonstrate the vitality of drawing today; he cultivated donors whose collection have made a huge impact; and he guided new generations of drawing scholars. Bill was a thoughtful mentor and never hesitated to offer support. The loss will be very much felt here at Harvard and across the field of drawing studies.

Please join us in thinking of Bill’s family. You are welcome to send messages of condolences to Joachim, Joachim_homann@harvard.edu, who will forward them to the family. Thank you.

Joachim Homann, Maida and George Abrams Curator of Drawings; Miriam Stewart, Curator of the Collection, Division of European and American Art; Susan Anderson, Curatorial Research Associate