Liz James

Prof Liz James is the Professor of History of Art (Art History) at the University of Sussex's School of Media, Arts and Humanities. She specializes in Byzantine art, particularly mosaics, and their cultural significance. Her career spans academic appointments from Durham University to the Courtauld Institute. She holds editorial roles at Gesta and chairs the Society for Promotion of Byzantine Studies.

Educations:

• B.A. Archaeology and Ancient History, Durham University
• M.A. Byzantine Studies, University of Birmingham
• Ph.D. (Courtauld Institute of Art), focusing on light/color in Byzantine art

Research Interests: Byzantine material culture with emphasis on mosaics, gender roles, imperial patronage, and art-text interactions. She maintains digital resources including Byzantine Mosaics Database and medievalmosaics.com.

Grants & Awards:

• 2024: Elected Fellow of the British Academy
• Leverhulme Trust grants (2003-2015) for mosaic research

Teaching: Leads modules on Late Antiquity, medieval art theory, and fieldwork in Rome. Supervises PhDs on Byzantine and post-Byzantine themes.