Isabella Schwarzer

Isabella Schwarzer is a PhD Researcher at The Courtauld Institute of Art specializing in medieval art history, focusing on golden bodies in religious and commemorative sculptures. Her current project Shimmering Death: Golden Bodies and Representing the Dead in Medieval Europe c. 1100-1400 challenges traditional categorizations of sacred/non-sacred objects through interdisciplinary analysis of materiality, identity, and spatial dialogues in German/Swiss metalwork.

Education:

• MA (First Class) in Art History, Curatorship & Renaissance Culture, Warburg Institute (2021–2022)
• BA (First Class) in Art History & Philosophy, Northeastern University (2018–2021)

Research Focus: Medieval sculpture (especially metalwork), cult of saints, reliquaries, materiality, and curatorship. Key themes include embodied experience and the intersection of sacred/non-sacred art forms.

Awards:

• CHASE/AHRC Doctoral Training Award (2023–2026)
• Visiting PhD Fellowship at University of Vienna (Oct 2024–Apr 2025)
• BAA Conference Scholarship, New College Art History Prize

Her publications include exhibition reviews for Burlington Magazine and a curated essay on medieval iconoclasm. Research trends emphasize material analysis and interdisciplinary approaches to medieval art.