Michael C TinklerView profile
Associate Professor
Michael C. Tinkler is an Associate Professor of Art and Architecture and Chair of European Studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where he has been a faculty member since 1999. He holds a Ph.D. from Emory University and a B.A. from Rice University. His academic home is in the Department of Art and Architecture within the College of Arts and Sciences, where he teaches a wide range of courses spanning from ancient to modern art, with a special focus on the medieval period. Education: Ph.D., Emory University B.A., Rice University His research centers on eighth- to tenth-century Europe, particularly the art and architecture of the Carolingian court, with sustained attention to inscriptions, the interplay between words and images, and sites such as the mosaics of Santa Prassede in Rome. He also investigates medieval badges, pilgrimage culture, Gothic Revival architecture in American colleges, and humor in the Middle Ages. His pedagogical interests include interdisciplinary teaching and the use of digital tools in art history education. The trends in his scholarly articles reflect a deep engagement with material culture, epigraphy, and visual rhetoric of the early medieval period. His work often bridges art history, literature, and religious studies, focusing on how symbols function in both sacred and secular contexts. Recurring themes include authority, literacy, devotion, and the body in medieval art. Michael Tinkler has presented widely at international conferences such as the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo and has organized sessions on medieval humor and pedagogy. He has directed the Rome study-abroad program and collaborates with colleagues on interdisciplinary courses, particularly with Professor Laurence Erussard in English. He maintains digital resources for students, including image databases and virtual bookshelves, and is active in developing teaching tools for medieval studies. Current Research and Projects Include: Early medieval inscriptions and word-image-space interactions Analysis of the mosaics of Santa Prassede, Rome Study of medieval badges, including pilgrimage and carnival badges Investigation of Gothic Revival architecture at Hobart and William Smith Colleges Pedagogical innovations in teaching medieval humor and interdisciplinary humanities Collaborative digital scholarship and online teaching resources








