Lydia Hansell

Dr. Lydia Hansell is a Teaching Fellow at The Courtauld Institute of Art specializing in medieval and Renaissance art history with emphasis on ecclesiastical patronage systems and Burgundian court culture.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Art History (2013-2016) from The Courtauld Institute of Art, AHRC-funded, thesis: 'Patronage of a Prelate: Artistic Provisions for the Religious Foundations of Cardinal Jean Rolin (1408-1483)'
• MA in Northern Renaissance Art (2011-2012) from The Courtauld Institute of Art (Distinction), dissertation: 'Cardinal Jean Rolin and the Chapelle Saint-Léger in the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, Beaune'
• BA (Hons) in Classics (2004-2008) from Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford

Her research interrogates artistic production in late-medieval France and the Burgundian Netherlands, particularly examining Cardinal Jean Rolin's religious foundations, Avignon's role post-Schism, and the intersection of political power with sacred art commissions. This work manifests through presentations at Renaissance Society of America conferences and co-organization of the 'Between Heaven and Earth' colloquium on ecclesiastical patronage.

Dr. Hansell's scholarly development is supported by the AHRC Doctoral Studentship and enhanced through specialized training in palaeography at Columbia University and the Institute of Historical Research, alongside the CHASE Material Witness programme.