Vincent Debiais

Vincent Debiais is a CNRS Research Director affiliated with the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) and Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art (INHA) in Paris. He leads the research team 'Anthropologie Historique du Long Moyen Âge' (AHLoMA) at the Centre de Recherches Historiques.

Education:

• PhD in Medieval History, University of Poitiers (2004)
• Habilitation in History of Medieval Art, University of Poitiers (2015)

Research Focus:
Debiais investigates intersections of written and visual culture in medieval artifacts, specializing in epigraphy, visual theology, and material practices. His current projects examine representations of silence in sacred imagery and abstraction in medieval artistic traditions, combining anthropological approaches with historical analysis.

Publications Analysis:
His recent works demonstrate consistent focus on materiality of medieval inscriptions across diverse media (stone, textiles, ivories). Key thematic clusters include liturgical objects, funerary epigraphy, visual silence, and methodological innovations in analyzing medieval graphic practices.

Awards:

• Herbert L. Kessler Prize for Medieval Art History (2022)

Research Leadership:
He directs the international team 'Arts et Intelligences du Silence' (EHESS, 2020-2024), coordinating interdisciplinary research on silence in humanities through seminars, publications, and resident scholar programs.