Ana Howie
Assistant Professor, History of Art and Visual Studies
Academic focus:
Art and material culture of early modern Europe (particularly Italy) and its material, economic and human connections within the wider world. My work is broadly interested in practices of making and the affective valences of material culture, as well as the human implications of material consumption.
Current research project:
My current research investigates elite women, dress and representation in early modern Genoa through portraits executed by Flemish painters Peter Paul Rubens and Anthony van Dyck. Situating Genoa’s fashion system within a global framework, I explore the sartorial vocabulary used by women, their relationship with a materialised world and the dynamics of these interactions as they manifest in elite portraiture.
Academic background:
- Ph.D., History, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2023
- M.A., History of art, Courtauld Institute of Art, United Kingdom, 2017
- B.A. Art history/French, University of Auckland, New Zealand, 2016
Last book read:
“At Day's Close: A History of Nighttime” by A. Roger Ekirch
In your own time/when not working:
You can find me at the gym or a dance class, cooking delicious meals, at the cinema or scoping out cool, new fashion designers to support.
Courses you’re most looking forward to teaching:
Introduction to Early Modern Art: Cosmopolitanism and Empire – I’m excited to shake up how Renaissance art is taught and highlight the roles played by traditionally “invisible” or ignored systems, structures and peoples.
What most excites you about Cornell:
The diversity of thinkers! I’m very much looking forward to engaging with colleagues and students on a wide range of topics.
Twitter handle:
@AnaHowie1
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