Nicola Jennings

Dr. Nicola Jennings is an Associate Lecturer at The Courtauld Institute of Art, specializing in Iberian and Northern European art with a focus on converso patronage and polychrome sculpture. She holds a PhD (2015) and MA (The Courtauld) alongside a Diplôme de Recherche from Geneva. Previously Director of the Colnaghi Foundation (2017–2021), she now leads the Athena Art Foundation, promoting pre-20th century global art through digital platforms. Her research explores fifteenth- to seventeenth-century Iberian art, particularly the intersection of craftsmanship, identity, and religious patronage.

Education:

• PhD, The Courtauld Institute of Art (2015)
• MA in Early Netherlandish Painting, The Courtauld Institute of Art
• Diplôme de Recherche, Institut Universitaire d’Études du Développement, Geneva
• BA, University of Sussex

Research Interests: Jennings examines the demand for Northern European craftsmanship in Iberia, converso patronage in Castile, and polychrome sculpture’s role in Victorian and early modern contexts. Her work bridges art-historical analysis with socio-cultural dynamics, as seen in her co-curation of The Colour of Anxiety (2023) at the Henry Moore Institute.

Recent Articles: Her publications analyze Netherlandish influences in Castilian altarpieces, Victorian sculpture’s gender symbolism, and terracotta techniques in Seville Cathedral. She frequently contributes critical reviews to journals like Apollo and Burlington Magazine.

Academic Service: Jennings co-edits the Colnaghi Studies Journal and serves on ARTES, a group advancing Iberian and Latin American visual culture studies. She has held teaching roles at The Courtauld, City University, and led courses like El Arte de la Pintura exploring early Seville art theory.