Marcia Pointon
Encyclopedia
Marcia Pointon, an historian of British art, was trained at the University of Manchester
, receiving her PhD there in 1974. From 1975 she was at the University of Sussex
, becoming Professor of the History of Art in 1989. In 1992 she moved to the University of Manchester to take the Pilkington Professorship in the History of Art, a position she held until 2002. She now works as a free-lance consultant and researcher.
Pointon is a prolific author, widely recognized as one of the leading scholars of British art. She has written fourteen books and numerous scholarly articles and reviews. Her innovative approach to the subject emerged with her book Naked Authority: The Body in Western Painting and developed further with Hanging the Head: Portraiture and Social Formation in Eighteenth-Century England. Continuing her exploration of the semiotics of the body, Pointon has recently published Brilliant Effects: A Cultural History of Gem Stones and Jewellery, an insightful study of personal adornment in western culture.
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, receiving her PhD there in 1974. From 1975 she was at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, becoming Professor of the History of Art in 1989. In 1992 she moved to the University of Manchester to take the Pilkington Professorship in the History of Art, a position she held until 2002. She now works as a free-lance consultant and researcher.
Pointon is a prolific author, widely recognized as one of the leading scholars of British art. She has written fourteen books and numerous scholarly articles and reviews. Her innovative approach to the subject emerged with her book Naked Authority: The Body in Western Painting and developed further with Hanging the Head: Portraiture and Social Formation in Eighteenth-Century England. Continuing her exploration of the semiotics of the body, Pointon has recently published Brilliant Effects: A Cultural History of Gem Stones and Jewellery, an insightful study of personal adornment in western culture.