Reading Weil: A Premature Appreciation

Abstract Reviewing the published legacy of museum scholar Stephen E. Weil, this paper analyzes the development of Weil's thought and appraises his contributions to museum discourse. It traces two shifts in Weil's published writings: first, the broadening of his interests from the legal field and the art world to the situation and purposes of museums generally; second, the liberalization of Weil's museological politics, which gradually altered his early view of the (art) museum as a private, sacrosanct realm and led to his later calls for museums to act as community servants. The paper also examines Weil's rhetorical strategies, with particular attention to the hypotheticals and analogies for which he was well known, and offers a provisional evaluation of the extent of his influence on museum debate and practice.