Suzanne Scanlan

Suzanne Scanlan is a Senior Lecturer at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), affiliated with the Department of Theory and History of Art and Design. She specializes in women’s roles as artists, patrons, and collectors from the Renaissance to the Modern period. Scanlan holds a BA from Stonehill College, an MA and PhD from Brown University. Her research emphasizes intersections of gender, religion, and art, particularly in early modern Italy and modern American contexts.

Scanlan teaches courses such as History of Drawing, Iconoclasm, and Baroque Rome, and collaborates with studio faculty on interdisciplinary initiatives, including a travel seminar exploring the Grand Tour’s impact on artists. Her work bridges academic scholarship and pedagogy, fostering connections between historical and contemporary artistic practices.

Her publications include Divine and Demonic Imagery at Tor de’Specchi (2018) and Esther Pressoir: A Modern Woman’s Painter (2024). In 2017, her co-authored article on female commemoration in Early Modern Rome won the Best Article prize from Early Modern Women: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Scanlan’s scholarship highlights marginalized voices in art history, particularly women’s contributions to cultural production and patronage. She actively engages in collaborative projects that integrate studio practice with historical analysis, reflecting her commitment to interdisciplinary education.