Nassos Papalexandrou

Dr. Nassos Papalexandrou is a Professor of Art History specializing in Greek Art and Archaeology and Near Eastern Art at The University of Texas at Austin. He serves as Graduate Advisor in the Department of Art and Art History. His academic journey includes a PhD from Princeton University and prior faculty roles at the University of Michigan and research fellowships at the Center for Hellenic Studies and the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. His research focuses on material culture, ritual practices, and cross-cultural interactions in the ancient Mediterranean. Recent projects include studies on Greek antiquities as diplomatic gifts post-WWII, Bronze Age artifacts from Thessaly, and collecting practices of Geometric Art.

Education: PhD in Art History from Princeton University, with a focus on ritual dimensions of Early Greek art.

Research Interests: Papalexandrou’s work explores the intersection of material culture and socio-political dynamics, particularly in early Greek sanctuaries and Near Eastern influences. He investigates how objects like griffin cauldrons and bronze artifacts mediated power, identity, and sensory experiences. His methodologies draw on materiality theory and sensory archaeology to analyze artifacts’ roles in religious and communal practices.

Publications: His book Bronze Monsters and the Cultures of Wonder (2021) examines griffin cauldrons’ visual properties and their role in Mediterranean elite practices. Recent articles address topics like material entanglements in the ancient Mediterranean, ecstatic visual experiences, and Etruscan-Anatolian artistic exchanges. His work often bridges archaeology, art history, and cultural studies.

Awards & Fellowships:

• 2023: Margo Tytus Visiting Scholar, University of Cincinnati
• 2018–2019: Getty Foundation Grant via Connecting Art Histories Initiative
• 2017: American School of Classical Studies Fellowship
• 2015: National Gallery of Art Fellowship

Teaching & Engagement: Papalexandrou teaches courses on Greek and Near Eastern art, sanctuaries, and visual cultures. He has excavated in Cyprus and is involved in publishing finds from Marion. His work often intersects with museum studies, critiquing provenance and display practices, as seen in his analysis of contested antiquities like the Bonham Amphora.