Cynthia Hahn

Cynthia Hahn is a Distinguished Professor of Art History at Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY. Her research focuses on medieval art, particularly reliquaries and material culture, examining their societal, historical, and theological roles. She has held residencies at the Institute for Advanced Study and the Clark Institute, and contributed to major exhibitions like Treasures of Heaven. Her work bridges medieval and contemporary art through dialogues with living artists like Nari Ward.

Education: PhD from Johns Hopkins University and MA from the University of Chicago. Former roles include the Gulnar K. Bosch Professor at Florida State University and visiting appointments at the University of Chicago, University of Delaware, and University of Michigan.

Research Interests: Medieval reliquaries, materiality and visuality, religious art iconography, cross-cultural material exchanges, and intersections between medieval and contemporary art practices. Her scholarship emphasizes how sacred objects mediate between divine and human realms.

Recent Projects: 2020 publications on passion relics, rock crystal, and the Darnley Jewel; upcoming 2024 book on bodily ornamentation. Curated Objects of Devotion and Desire (2018), pairing medieval reliquaries with contemporary art. Active on editorial boards for ICMA, CASVA, and CAA online reviews.

Grants & Fellowships: Clark Fellowship (2022), IAS Residency (2024), Camargo Foundation residency (France), and CASVA support. Collaborative work includes exhibitions at the Schnutgen Museum and the Getty.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with MA, PhD, and MFA students on exhibitions and research projects, fostering intergenerational dialogue between medieval studies and contemporary art practices.