Dr Alison Harpur

I am a Tutor in History of Art at the University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) and a specialist in Italian Renaissance art. I have a BA in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art, and an MA and PhD in History of Art from University College London (UCL). My PhD was on visual culture and the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438-1445), an ecumenical council between the Latin and Greek Churches. My research focuses on Renaissance Florence, Ferrara, and Rome, particularly the patronage of the Medici and Este families and the Papal Court, and the works of Donatello, Filarete, Pisanello, Fra Angelico, Benozzo Gozzoli, and Piero della Francesca. I am also interested in connections between Italian and Northern Renaissance art, British art and Country House collections, and the relationship between History of Art and Theology. I was Assistant Curator of Pictures and Sculpture at the National Trust, and previously worked as Assistant Curator for Research and Information at the UK Government Art Collection. I have taught History of Art as an Associate Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant at UCL, and I am an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. I have presented academic papers in the UK, Italy, and Belgium, including conferences of the Renaissance Society of America, the Society for Renaissance Studies, the Association for Art History, and the Society for the Study of Theology.