Kathryn Rudy

Dr. Kathryn Rudy, also known as Kate, holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Columbia University and a Licentiate in Mediaeval Studies from the University of Toronto.

Specializing in late medieval manuscripts of the Low Countries, Kate has an extensive background in research, teaching, and curatorial roles held across various countries including the US, UK, Canada, The Netherlands, and Belgium.

She is renowned for her work on topics such as manuscript precedents of Bruegel's Netherlandish Proverbs, the early visual interpretation of the Ghent Altarpiece, and illustrated manuscripts for children, among others.

Kate's expertise extends to medieval pilgrimage, leading to the publication of her book Virtual Pilgrimages in the Convent: Imagining Jerusalem in the Late Middle Ages (Brepols, 2011), with another book titled Parchment Paintings in the Late Middle Ages set to be released by Yale University Press in 2015.

She is actively involved in projects focusing on the reception and original function of manuscripts, including database construction to reconstruct fifteenth-century manuscripts and compiling Middle Dutch rubrics for a forthcoming book titled The Spiritual Economy of Images: The Performance of Prayer on the Eve of the Reformation in the Low Countries.

Aside from her research, Kate excels in conducting dynamic illustrated lectures, database management, transcribing and translating Middle Dutch, writing about art for diverse audiences, and developing innovative tools like densitometry for historical interpretation.

Kate's educational background includes studies at esteemed institutions like the University of Toronto, Rare Book School, Columbia University, Cornell University, and McDowell.

Throughout her career, Kate has held various prestigious positions including professorships at the University of St Andrews, Trinity College Dublin, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and The Warburg Institute, among others. She has also served as a curator of illuminated manuscripts at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek and undertaken fellowships at notable institutions such as the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, and the Belgian American Educational Foundation, Inc., to name a few.