Shih Shou-chien

In this Chinese name, the family name is Shi.

Shih Shou-chien
石守謙
Shih in 2015
Director of the National Palace Museum
In office 20 May 2004 – 25 January 2006
Preceded by	Tu Cheng-sheng
Succeeded by	Lin Mun-lee
Personal details
Born	(1951-06-08) 8 June 1951 Taiwan
Education	National Taiwan University (BA, MA) Princeton University (PhD)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	石守謙
Simplified Chinese	石守谦
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Shí Shǒuqiān

Shih Shou-chien (Chinese: 石守謙; born 8 June 1951) is a Taiwanese art historian, archaeologist, and academic who served as the director of the National Palace Museum from 2004 to 2006. He is a professor at National Taiwan University and a member of Academia Sinica.

Early life and education

Shih was born in Taiwan on June 8, 1951. He graduated from National Taiwan University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in history in 1973 and obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.) in the subject from the university in 1977. He then completed graduate studies in the United States at Princeton University, where he won a fellowship from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to study at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City from 1981 to 1983.

In 1984, Shih earned his Ph.D. in art and archaeology from Princeton under art historian Wen Fong and sinologist Frederick W. Mote. His doctoral dissertation was titled, "Eremitism in landscape paintings by Ch'ien Hsüan."

Career

Shih was a professor at National Taiwan University in 1990, becoming director of the Institute of Art History in 1991. In May 2000 Executive Yuan appointed him as Deputy Director of the National Palace Museum. After this office was terminated in May 2004, he was promoted to Director position, serving until January 2006. He is a researcher at Academia Sinica since 2006, and he was elected an academician in July 2012.