Krista H. Gulbransen

Krista H. Gulbransen is an Associate Professor of Art History and Chair of the Art History department at Whitman College. She specializes in South Asian art, architecture, and cultural exchange, with a focus on Mughal-Rajput dynamics and museum studies. Her work explores portraiture, art collecting, and historical representation.

Education:

• Ph.D. Art and Architectural History, University of Virginia (2013)
• M.A. Art and Architectural History, University of Virginia (2007)
• B.A. Art History and Business/Economics, University of California, Los Angeles (2003)

Research Interests: Dr. Gulbransen investigates 16th–17th century South Asian portraiture, Mughal-Rajput cultural exchange, and the display of South Asian art in European museums. Her recent work examines 19th-century European reproductions of Indian monuments, addressing themes like authenticity, colonialism, and museum ethics.

Exhibitions:

• Mapping India: Colonialism, Nationalism, and the Partition of South Asia (2023, Maxey Museum)
• Realms of Earth and Sky: Indian Painting from the 15th to the 19th Century (2014–2015, multiple institutions)

Awards:

• Adam Dublin Award for Global Multiculturalism (2021)
• Faculty-Student Summer Research Awards (2020, 2022, 2023)

Grants: Supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Fulbright-Hays, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.