معرفی
Dr. Elsje van Kessel is a Senior Lecturer in Art History at the University of St Andrews’ School of Art History. She specializes in Western European art within a global context during the 16th–17th centuries, focusing on how art and material culture were valued across time. She holds a PhD (cum laude) from Leiden University (2011) and joined St Andrews in 2012.
Her research explores the circulation of art objects in early modern oceans, particularly within the Portuguese maritime empire, and their intersections with empire-building and resource extraction. She has published widely, including her monograph The Lives of Paintings (2017), nominated for the Karel van Manderprijs, and co-edited The Secret Lives of Art Works (2014). Current projects include a second monograph on oceanic art journeys, supported by Leverhulme and Netherlands Institute fellowships.
- Research Interests: Renaissance Italy/Venice, material culture, global art history, object mobility, art and the ocean
- Teaching: Modules on early modern art, global art networks, and portraiture
- Affiliations: Editorial board of ArtHist.net; member of UK Association for Art History Conference Committee and ARTES board
Her work has been recognized through nominations for prestigious awards and grants, including a Leverhulme Trust fellowship. She coordinates the interdisciplinary Talking Things network and actively mentors PhD students in Italian/Iberian art (1500–1700).
