Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann

Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann is the Frederick Marquand Professor of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University. He specializes in European art and architecture from 1500–1800, emphasizing global contexts, world art history, and the geography of art. His research explores transcultural exchanges, collections, and the historiography of art. He has advised doctoral students on topics ranging from 17th-century Swedish art to Jesuit studies of China. Kaufmann is affiliated with Princeton’s Renaissance and Early Modern Studies program and the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies. He has held fellowships at the American Academies in Rome and Berlin, and is a member of multiple national academies of science.

Education: Ph.D., Harvard University, 1977. Awards include the Palacký Medal and two honorary doctorates. He co-edits the Oxford Bibliography of the History of Art and has authored influential works on global art history and Central European art.

Research focuses on global circulations of art, including studies of Netherlandish art in Asia and the Cabinets of Art and Wonder. His teaching spans Baroque art, global art theory, and the intersection of art with science and magic.

• Awards: Palacký Medal (2003), Honorary Doctorates (Dresden 2010, Brno 2013)
• Grants: Multiple fellowships and editorial roles, including editor-in-chief of the Oxford Bibliography of the History of Art.

Labs/Teams: Active in museum collaborations and international academic networks, contributing to exhibitions and conferences globally.