Jessica Maier

Jessica Maier is a Professor of Art History at Mount Holyoke College, specializing in European Renaissance art and architecture through a global lens. She focuses on underrepresented visual forms, including prints, illustrated books, maps, and city views, to explore early modern cultural dynamics.

• Education: Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A. from Columbia University; B.A. from Brown University

Her research bridges cartography, print culture, and urban studies. Maier has published in journals like The Art Bulletin and Renaissance Quarterly, and authored two influential books on Rome’s cartographic history.

Recent scholarly trends include analyzing how visual media documented historical events (e.g., the Great Siege of Malta) and redefined urban identity through cartographic innovations.

• Scientific Awards: NEH Fellowship (2020) for 'Contested Places: Cartography, Conflict, and the Visual Arts in Early Modern Europe'

At Mount Holyoke since 2011, she teaches courses on Renaissance cities, Leonardo da Vinci, and Rome’s visual legacy, engaging both majors and non-majors.