Louise Marshall

Louise Marshall is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Art History at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on Italian Renaissance plague imagery, particularly the role of images in coping with bubonic plague, and the cults of plague saints such as Sebastian, Roch, and the Virgin Mary. She holds degrees including a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and MA/BA (Hons) from the University of Melbourne.

Her work examines how artistic representations shaped cultural responses to epidemics, including the emotional dynamics of plague imagery and the interplay between religion and disaster. She has published extensively on topics like Tintoretto’s plague-related art, the iconography of St. Roch, and the visualisation of purgatory in medieval and Renaissance art.

Recent research includes analyses of plague victims’ depictions in early modern Europe and the role of angels in plague saint narratives. Current projects involve the study of confraternal art and the impact of epidemics on religious practices. Her work bridges art history with medical humanities and cultural studies.

Grants include ARC funding for studies on emotions and plague in Renaissance Italy. She advises Mitchell Kelly on a project about Trecento frescoes in Avignon. Her research often intersects with interdisciplinary themes like disaster studies and historical epidemiology.