Laura R Bass

Laura R. Bass is an Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and History of Art and Architecture at Brown University, with a dual appointment since 2012. Previously, she served at Tulane University (2000–2012), where she directed graduate studies and held visiting roles at the University of Minnesota and Brown. She earned an A.B. in Religious Studies from Occidental College (1987), an M.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Virginia (1994), and a Ph.D. in 2000 from Princeton University.

Her research bridges literature, art history, and history, focusing on Early Modern Spain. Notable works include The Drama of the Portrait: Theater and Visual Culture in Early Modern Spain (2008, awarded the Eleanor Tufts Award in 2010) and co-edited volumes like Approaches to Teaching Early Modern Spanish Drama (2006). Current projects include Madrid: History, Literature, and Culture and a translation of the 17th-century autobiography of painter-nun Estefanía de la Encarnación with Tanya Tiffany.

Bass has held leadership roles, including chair of Brown’s Hispanic Studies Department (2012–2015 and 2017–2020), and serves on professional organizations like the MLA and Cervantes Society of America. She edits the Bulletin of the Comediantes and teaches courses on medieval interfaith relations, Early Modern fashion, Don Quixote, and urban perspectives.