Rosalind Polly Blakesley ( Gray) is a prize-winning author,

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

and academic. She has taught art history at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and been a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

Pembroke College, Cambridge Pembroke College (officially "The Master, Fellows and Scholars of the College or Hall of Valence-Mary") is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college is the third-oldest college of the university and has over 700 ...

since 2002, and has been Professor of Russian and European Art since 2018. She previously worked at

Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

, the Russian Institute of Art History,

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public university, public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is ...

, and the

University of Kent , motto_lang = , mottoeng = Literal translation: 'Whom to serve is to reign'(Book of Common Prayer translation: 'whose service is perfect freedom')Graham Martin, ''From Vision to Reality: the Making of the University of Kent at Canterbury'' ...

Academic career

Blakesley is Professor of Russian and European Art at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and co-founder of the Cambridge Courtauld Russian Art Centre. A

syndic Syndic (Late Latin: '; Greek: ' – one who helps in a court of justice, an advocate, representative) is a term applied in certain countries to an officer of government with varying powers, and secondly to a representative or delegate of a universi ...

of the

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Vis ...

, Trustee of the Samuel Courtauld Trust, and former Trustee of the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...

in London, she has curated exhibitions in Britain, Russia and the USA, including ''Russia and the Arts: The Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky'' at the National Portrait Gallery in 2016. Blakesley's most recent book, ''The Russian Canvas: Painting in Imperial Russia 1757-1881'', was awarded the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize, the Art Newspaper Russia Best Book Award, and Honourable Mention from the

Heldt Prize The Heldt Prize is a literary award from the Association for Women in Slavic Studies named in honor of Barbara Heldt. The award has been given variously in the following categories: *Best book in Slavic/Eastern European/Eurasian Women's Studies ...

Committee for Best Book by a Woman in Slavic Studies. Other books include ''Russia and the Arts'' (2016), ''The Arts and Crafts Movement'' (2006) and ''Russian Genre Painting in the Nineteenth Century'' (2000, under her maiden name of Gray), as well as the co-edited volumes ''From Realism to the Silver Age'' (2014), ''Russian Art and the West'' (2007), and ''An Imperial Collection: Women Artists from the State Hermitage Museum'' (the catalogue of an exhibition Blakesley curated at the

National Museum of Women in the Arts The National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), located in Washington, D.C., is "the first museum in the world solely dedicated" to championing women through the arts. NMWA was incorporated in 1981 by Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay. Since openin ...

, Washington DC, in 2003). In 2017 Blakesley was awarded the

Pushkin Medal The Medal of Pushkin (russian: медаль Пушкина) is a state decoration of the Russian Federation awarded to its citizens and to foreigners for achievements in the arts and culture, education, humanities and literature. It is named in h ...

by the Russian Federation for services to Anglo-Russian relations and Russian art.

Personal life

In 2001, Rosalind Gray married Patrick James Blakesley, a barrister and QC. Together they have two children.

Selected publications

* ''Russian Genre Painting in the Nineteenth Century''. Oxford, 2000. ( Oxford Historical Monographs) (under her maiden name of Rosalind P. Gray) * ''An Imperial Collection: Women Artists from the State Hermitage Museum''. London, 2003. (co-editor and contributor) * ''The Arts and Crafts Movement''. London, 2006. * ''Russian Art and the West: a Century of Dialogue in Painting, Architecture and the Decorative Arts''. DeKalb, Ill., 2007. (co-editor and contributor) * ''From Realism to the Silver Age: New Studies in Russian Artistic Culture''. DeKalb, Ill., 2014. (co-editor and contributor) * ''The Russian Canvas: Painting in Imperial Russia, 1757-1878''. New Haven and London, 2016.

References

External links

* http://www.russianartandculture.com/interview-dr-rosalind-blakesley-on-curating-russia-the-arts-exhibition-at-npg-in-london/ * http://www.aseees.org/about/rosalind-polly-blakesley * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blakesley, Rosalind Living people British art historians Women art historians Fellows of Pembroke College, Cambridge Russian art Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of the University of Cambridge Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery Year of birth missing (living people)