Daniela Bleichmar

Daniela Bleichmar serves as Professor of Art History and History at the University of Southern California, where she holds leadership positions as founding director of the Levan Institute for the Humanities and director of the USC Society of Fellows in the Humanities. Previously, she held the role of Associate Provost for Faculty and Student Initiatives in the Arts and Humanities (2015–2020), demonstrating sustained institutional commitment to humanities scholarship.

Her academic foundation includes a Ph.D. in History from Princeton University (2005) and an A.B. in History of Science from Harvard University (1996), followed by a Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute (2004–2006). This interdisciplinary training underpins her distinctive research approach.

Professor Bleichmar's scholarship centers on Early Modern Europe and the Spanish Empire, with particular expertise in visual and material culture, colonial science, and global knowledge exchange. Her work examines how images and objects functioned as instruments of imperial power while facilitating cross-cultural encounters. Current research explores the visual dimensions of natural history practices and the epistemological significance of collecting in colonial contexts, revealing how visual representation shaped European understanding of the Americas.

Analysis of her recent publications (2015-2021) shows consistent engagement with the visual archive of imperialism, particularly through studies of the Codex Mendoza and early modern collecting practices. These works bridge art history, history of science, and colonial studies, demonstrating methodological innovation in analyzing visual evidence across disciplinary boundaries while maintaining focus on power dynamics in knowledge production.

Her distinguished recognition includes:

• American Council of Learned Societies Fellowship (Frederick Burkhardt Residential Fellowship)
• Smithsonian America's Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences (37 under 36)
• Getty Research Institute Scholar appointment
• Multiple awards for specific publications including the Jerry Stannard Memorial Award

Professor Bleichmar has secured significant research funding including the USC Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences Grant and Del Amo Research Grant. She actively contributes to scholarly discourse through editorial roles at Journal18, Isis, and multiple book series, while mentoring emerging scholars through her leadership in the Society of Fellows.

She maintains deep institutional connections through the USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute, Visual Studies Research Institute, and USC-Getty Program in the History of Collecting and Display. These affiliations support her interdisciplinary approach while providing platforms for collaborative research on global visual culture and material exchanges in the early modern world.