Kristina Kleutghen

Kristina Kleutghen is an Associate Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Washington University, specializing in Chinese Art of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). She holds a PhD from Harvard University and serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies in her department. Her research focuses on Sino-foreign interactions, imperial court aesthetics, optical devices, and intersections between art and science/mathematics.

Key affiliations include the Blakemore Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Getty Research Institute. Her first book, *Imperial Illusions: Crossing Pictorial Boundaries in the Qing Palaces*, explores visual innovations in imperial spaces. Her upcoming work, *Lens onto the World*, examines the forgotten relationship between Chinese optical devices and art from the 15th to early 20th centuries. The latter highlights how optical devices shaped local visual culture rather than foreign influence.

Recent publications (2024-2011) investigate topics like Qing Dynasty material culture, Jesuit artistic missions, and transcultural visual technologies. Kleutghen’s writing spans peer-reviewed journals (*Art History*, *Eighteenth-Century Studies*) and exhibition catalogs, demonstrating interdisciplinary engagement with global art histories.