Brenna is a PhD student in the Department of Art and Architectural History. She studies the art and material culture of the Italian Renaissance under the supervision of Dr. Francesca Fiorani. She obtained her MA in Italian Renaissance Art History from Syracuse University’s Florence Graduate Program and her BA from Colorado State University. 

 

Her research looks specifically at early modern astrology and magic in the Italian Renaissance, exploring how notions of ‘astral magic’ informed the creation of images that may have been used for their talismanic effects. Her research so far has considered how painted astrological vaults may have been designed to capture celestial ‘rays’ that emanated from the real celestial bodies overhead. Both materially and visually, these types of images illuminate contemporary thought systems by exploring how these ideas embody and mediate between early modern views of science, philosophy, religion, and magic. 

 

Brenna is a Junior Fellow of UVA’s Society of Fellows (SoF), and her research has been supported by the Samuel H. Kress Florence Fellowship. Prior to joining the department at UVA, she spent several years teaching art history as an Instructor at Colorado State University and the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design.