Ashley Elston is an art historian who specializes in the art and architecture of early modern Europe. After teaching at Berea College as associate professor of art history for over a decade, with particular emphasis on 15th-century Italy and 17th-century Northern Europe, she now manages an art collection based in the US and Italy. She discovered her love of Italian art and culture as an undergraduate working on a degree in history and medieval studies at St. Olaf College when she participated in a study abroad course in Rome. She went on to complete a master’s and PhD in art history at the University of Kansas. A Fulbright grant allowed her to live in Italy while conducting her doctoral research in churches, archives, and museums, and her work has also been supported by competitive grants from the Renaissance Society of America and the Southeastern College Art Conference.

Ashley’s research interests include the history of ritual art, the development of the art market in the Netherlands, and American exhibitions of Italian Renaissance art. She has published in art history journals and academic volumes, and co-edited a book titled Hybridity in Early Modern Art.