Maria F. Maurer

Maria F. Maurer is an Associate Professor of Art History and Co-director of Women's and Gender Studies at The University of Tulsa, within the Kendall College of Arts & Sciences and the Department of Art, Design & Art History. Her research critically examines gender, space, and embodied experience in early modern Italian art and architecture, challenging traditional interpretations of Renaissance courtly environments.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. from Indiana University with dissertation 'The Palazzo Te and the Spaces of Masculinity' and an M.A. from the University of Louisville.

Maurer's research integrates Art History, Gender Studies, and Digital Humanities to analyze how spatial configurations shaped social interactions and identity formation at Italian courts. Her work reveals the dynamic interplay between physical environments, gendered bodies, and cultural practices, demonstrating that early modern palaces functioned as active social arenas rather than static monuments. Current projects explore the cultural significance of mistresses and illegitimate children in courtly life and the spatial contexts of Renaissance altarpieces.

She has received notable recognition including:

• Scholar Research Grants from the Oklahoma Humanities Council (2023, 2016)
• Oklahoma Center for the Humanities Fellowship (2015-2016)
• Samuel H. Kress Dissertation Fellowship (2009-2010)

Maurer directs the In Situ project, which employs 3D modeling and scanning technology to digitally reconstruct the original spatial contexts of fragmented Italian Renaissance altarpieces. This innovative initiative involves advanced undergraduates in recovering lost architectural settings and enhancing public understanding of religious art through virtual reconstructions, significantly contributing to both scholarly research and museum education.