Cordula van Wyhe

Professor Cordula van Wyhe holds the position of Professor of Art History at the University of York's Department of History of Art. Her research focuses on early modern cultural history, particularly in the seventeenth-century Low Countries, with expertise in dress history, Rubens studies, religious/political imagery, and court culture up to 1945. She leads the Digital Museum of Dress Accessories (DMDA), exploring intersections of fashion, health, and technology. Van Wyhe has organized numerous conferences, including 'Rubens and the Human Body' (2010) and 'Global to the Local: Perspectives on Fashion' (2019).

Education: MA from University College London and PhD from the Courtauld Institute, London. Prior to joining York in 2005, she was the Speelman-Newton Fellow in Netherlandish Art at Wolfson College, Cambridge.

Research Interests:

• Early modern court culture and materiality
• Rubens' artistic practice and patronage
• Gendered aspects of dress and power
• Transnational exchanges in art and fashion

Grants & Funding: Recipient of AHRC-aligned grants (2020-22), Wellcome Institute support (2010), and multiple British Academy awards. Her work bridges art history with interdisciplinary approaches to fashion, medicine, and technology.

Teaching: Develops object-focused modules like 'Power Dressing in Early Modern Europe' and 'Fashion: Theories, Materials and Images (1540–1940)', emphasizing tactile engagement with historical artifacts.

Public Engagement: Leads initiatives such as the DMDA's handling collections and public talks on topics like Victorian parasols and flapper fashion. Recent talks include 'Modernity and Make-Up' (York Talks, 2023) and workshops on Georgian fashion accessories.