David S. Areford

David S. Areford is a Professor of Art & Art History at the University of Massachusetts Boston, specializing in late-medieval European devotional art and printmaking. His research bridges the fifteenth century and twentieth-century American art, particularly the works of conceptual artist Sol LeWitt. His expertise includes

• early European woodcuts and metalcuts
• manuscript illumination
• modern printmaking analysis

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Education:

• PhD in Art History, Northwestern University (2001)
• MA in Art History, Florida State University (1995)
• BA in English, Longwood College (1985)

His research interests focus on the intersection of medieval devotional practices and printmaking, examining how mass-produced images shaped religious experience. Recent projects analyze Sol LeWitt's printmaking legacy, positioning him as a pivotal figure connecting historical and conceptual art.

Scientific awards and grants include

• Fulbright Fellowship (1998-1999)
• National Endowment for the Arts "Art Works" grant (2013)
• International Fine Print Dealers Association Book Award (2011 Honorable Mention)
• Alfred H. Barr, Jr. Award finalist (2007)
• Newberry Library Weiss/Brown Publication Award (2001)

Publications span books like Strict Beauty: Sol LeWitt Prints (2020) and The Viewer and the Printed Image in Late Medieval Europe (2017). He has also co-authored catalogues on early European printmaking, highlighting fifteenth-century woodcuts and their audiences.