معرفی
Allison Caplan is an Assistant Professor of History of Art at Yale University. Previously, she held positions as Assistant Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the inaugural Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on Late Postclassic and early colonial Mesoamerican art, particularly Nahua art theory, materiality, and the intersection of visual expression with Nahuatl language. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Mexico, including Nahuatl language studies through FLAS fellowships, and has contributed to museum exhibitions like Golden Kingdoms: Luxury Arts in the Ancient Americas.
- Education: B.A., Columbia University; Ph.D., Tulane University
Her current book project, Flickering Creations: Concepts of Nahua Precious Art, explores Nahua theorizations of color, light, and assemblage in precious materials. Her scholarship bridges art history with linguistic and interdisciplinary collaboration, addressing topics like animal symbolism, colonial material practices, and Indigenous knowledge systems. She has received grants from institutions such as the American Council of Learned Societies and Dumbarton Oaks.
Caplan teaches courses on ancient/colonial Mesoamerica, Indigenous art theory, and museum studies. She is on leave during the 2025–2026 academic year.
