Ivan Gaskell

Harvard University

September–December 2011

Ivan Gaskell (Beinecke Fellow) teaches history at Harvard University using tangible things as historical sources. His work addresses the intersection of history, art history, anthropology, museology, and philosophy. Among his publications are Vermeer's Wager: Speculations on Art History, Theory, and Art Museums (2000), and six books edited with the late Salim Kemal in the series Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and the Arts.  At the conclusion of his fellowship, Ivan will assume a new position as professor of cultural history and head of the Focus Project at the Bard Graduate Center, New York City. While at the Clark, he will be preparing a study of trompe l’oeil painting and other deceptive phenomena in art and nature, complementing empirical investigation with philosophical discussion. 
Photo by Justin Ides.