Jeremy Melius

Jeremy Melius is a Lecturer in the Department of History of Art at the University of York, specializing in modern British art and criticism since the 1840s. His research explores the entanglements of word and image, particularly in anglophone art writing, and examines themes such as affect, ethics, environment, and empire. He joined the university in 2024 and holds a BA from Yale University and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.

His work has been supported by institutions like the Huntington Library, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Clark Art Institute. He focuses on figures such as John Ruskin and Walter Pater, alongside topics like the history of connoisseurship and the relationship between photography and sculpture. Current projects include The Invention of Botticelli, reinterpreting the artist’s rediscovery in the 19th century, and a study on Ruskin’s complex engagement with art history.

Jeremy’s articles and book projects reflect his interdisciplinary approach, blending art history with literary and cultural studies. He has organized conferences, such as Description and the Art of Response at the University of Oxford and a Study Day on John Ruskin at the Morgan Library & Museum. His invited lectures include the Tomás Harris Lectures at University College London and the Richard McDougall Lecture on British Watercolour at The Courtauld Institute of Art.