Dawn Odell

Dawn Odell is a Professor of Art History at Lewis & Clark College, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in early modern European and East Asian art, with a focus on cross-cultural exchanges between China and northern Europe during the 17th–18th centuries. Her research explores themes such as material culture, imperial art networks, and the domestication of Chinese art forms in European contexts.

Odell holds a PhD from the University of Chicago, an MA from Harvard University, and a BA from Carleton College. Her academic work bridges art history, cultural studies, and global trade histories. Notable research projects include examining Chinese porcelain in the Netherlands, Dutch book arts, and material culture in Jakarta. She is currently writing a book about Andreas van Braam Houckgeest, focusing on his collection of Chinese art displayed in 18th-century Philadelphia.

Her publications span journals and edited volumes, addressing topics like Buddhist art, Jesuit textual depictions of Asia, and colonial identity in Batavia. Her work consistently emphasizes transcultural dialogues and the materiality of global exchanges.

Odell teaches courses on topics such as urban experience in late imperial China, art and imperialism, and 'reality effects' in European art. Her office is located in the Fields Center for the Visual Arts, with regular office hours for student consultations.