Katherine Calvin joined Kenyon’s faculty in 2020. Her research examines art and cross-cultural exchange between Europe, the Middle East and Africa from the Renaissance to the eighteenth century. Feminist and critical race theories are central to her analysis of early modern paintings, prints, and illustrated travel literature. Calvin also studies the intersections of archaeology, art collecting and the development of national museums.
Calvin was previously a member of the Spelman College faculty. Her research has been supported by fellowships from the UCLA Center for 17th & 18th Century Studies, the William Andrews Clark Library, and the Lewis Walpole Library at Yale University. She is currently preparing her first book about how representations of antiquities and ancient sites informed European and Ottoman ideas about history and nationalism.
Eighteenth-century art, feminist art history, early modern cultural exchange
2020 — Doctor of Philosophy from University of North Carolina a
2015 — Master of Arts from University of North Carolina a
2013 — Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University
This course surveys Western art and architecture from the Renaissance to the present. Framing the study of art history within a social context, this course will provide students with the tools for understanding style and interpreting meaning in individual works of art. Although this is a lecture format, discussion is encouraged. This counts toward the introductory course requirement for the major. No prerequisite. Offered every semester.
This course focuses on the art of the 17th century, starting in Rome and spreading outward to other parts of Europe. Lecture and discussion will focus on artists including Caravaggio, Bernini, Rubens, Rembrandt and Poussin. We will explore the formal characteristics and historical context of Baroque art, as well as the controversial relationship between art criticism, theory and production. This counts toward the intermediate course and Renaissance/Baroque requirements for the major. Prerequisite: ARHS 110, 111 or equivalent. Offered every other year.
Various topics in the history of Renaissance and Baroque art are explored in a seminar format. Each seminar provides a forum for the in-depth study of the methods of art historical research. Discussion of weekly readings, classroom presentations and research papers will be required. This counts toward the advanced course requirement for the major. This course can be repeated up to tow times for credit, so long as they cover different topics. Prerequisite: ARHS 110, 111 or equivalent.