Charlotte Schmid

Charlotte Schmid is a Director of Studies at the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO), specializing in the archaeology of the Indian world and history of Indian religions. She has been affiliated with the EFEO since the 1990s, with significant research periods in India including a four-year assignment at the EFEO center in Pondicherry (1999-2003) and subsequent work based in Paris since 2003. She is also affiliated with the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), where she teaches seminars on Tamil epigraphy and iconography, and serves as editor-in-chief of Arts Asiatiques while participating in the editorial board of the Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient.

Dr. Schmid's academic journey includes classical studies in Greek and Latin at the École du Louvre, followed by Sanskrit studies that led to her doctoral research supervised by Professor Gérard Fussman. Her work bridges textual and archaeological approaches to religious history, particularly focusing on the relationship between textual traditions and material evidence in Indian religious contexts.

Her primary research focuses on Hindu iconography, particularly the representation of deities in the Bhakti tradition across both North and South India. She has conducted extensive fieldwork in Mathurā (focusing on early Krishna iconography) and Tamil Nadu (examining the appearance of Bhakti deities in the Tamil country). Her methodology emphasizes the cross-study of texts and archaeological material, working closely with traditional scholars to interpret inscriptions, sculptures, and temple architecture spanning from the 6th to 12th centuries. This interdisciplinary approach has produced significant insights into how religious narratives interact with physical spaces and artistic representations.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on South Indian religious art and epigraphy, particularly examining Pallava and Chola period temples. Her work demonstrates a progression from early Krishna iconography in North India to more complex analyses of Tamil religious traditions, with increasing attention to the relationship between textual narratives and physical representations in temple contexts. She frequently examines goddess iconography, ritual practices, and the interplay between local traditions and pan-Indian religious movements.

Dr. Schmid actively mentors students through her seminars at the EPHE, where she facilitates numerous discussions on Tamil epigraphy and iconography. Her involvement in major collaborative projects like the Corpus of Khmer Inscriptions provides substantial research opportunities for emerging scholars. While specific grant information isn't detailed in the provided texts, her sustained research output suggests consistent funding support for her fieldwork and publication activities.

Her scholarly activities extend through her leadership roles in academic publishing and participation in international research networks. As editor-in-chief of Arts Asiatiques and member of the editorial committee for the Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient, she shapes scholarly discourse in Asian studies. Her inclusion in the Corpus of Khmer Inscriptions project expands her research horizon to Southeast Asia, connecting Indian religious traditions with broader Asian cultural contexts.