Asleson, Robyn
Associate Curator, Department of Prints & Drawings and Media Arts
Asleson, Robyn
Associate Curator, Department of Prints & Drawings and Media Arts
Robyn Asleson's areas of scholarly expertise include transatlantic cultural exchange from the 17th through the early 20th century; the visual culture of celebrity; the relationship between portraiture and the performing arts; the natural world and American identity; and the Aesthetic Movement in Britain and America. Her current projects include a series of exhibitions featuring individual portraits on loan from international museums. She is also developing exhibitions featuring charcoal portraits by John Singer Sargent, portraits of American women in Paris during the 1900-38 period, and 19th-century theatrical portraiture.
Positions
- Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art 2014 - 2016
- Independent Art Historian, Museum Consultant 2001 - 2014
- Research Associate, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens 1992 - 2001
Geographic Focus
- United States of America Country
Background And Education
Education And Training
- Ph.D. in History of Art, Yale University , History of Art Department, Dissertation: “Classic into Modern: The Inspiration of Antiquity in English Painting, 1864-1918”; Frances Blanshard Prize 1987 - 1993
- M.A. in History of Art, Yale University , History of Art Department, Thesis: The Aesthetic Theories of James McNeill Whistler and John Ruskin” 1985 - 1986
- B.A. in English and Art History, Yale University 1979 - 1983
Awards And Honors
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- "Seduced by an Old Flame: Illusion and Paradox in a 20th-century Lucite Lighter". American Art and Artifacts. 2000
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Blog Posting
- Asleson, Robyn. 2018. "The Amazing Escape and Subsequent Escapades of Henry Box Brown." Face-to-Face Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Feb 6, 2018. http://npg.si.edu/blog/amazing-escape-and-subsequent-escapades-henry-box-brown. 2018
- Asleson, Robyn. 2018. "The Show Must Not Go On: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 1968 Academy Awards." Face-to-Face Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Mar 1, 2018. http://npg.si.edu/blog/show-must-not-go-on-martin-luther-king-jr-and-1968-academy-awards. 2018
- Asleson, Robyn. 2018. "Wong Chin Foo: Cultural Ambassador and Civil Rights Activist." Face-to-Face Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Jan 25, 2018. http://npg.si.edu/blog/wong-chin-foo-cultural-ambassador-and-civil-rights-activist. 2018
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Book
- Eye to I: Self-Portraits from the National Portrait Gallery.. Ed. Fortune, Brandon. 2019
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Chapter
- Asleson, Robyn and Miyamoto, Benedicte. 2021. "Portrait of the Artist as Migrant: An Interview with Robyn Asleson." In Art and Migration: Revisioning the Borders of Community. Miyamoto, Benedicte and Ruiz, Marie, editors. 166–175. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press. 2021
- Asleson, Robyn. 2020. "Repetition, Aestheticism, and Copyright Law in the Art Practice of Albert Moore." In Nineteenth-Century British Artists' Autograph Replicas: Auras, Aesthetics and Economics. Codell, Julie, editor. 64–76. London, England: Routledge. 2020
- Asleson, Robyn. 2018. "Collecting 'Primitive' and Modern Pre-Raphaelites in Britain and America." In Truth and Beauty: The Pre-Raphaelites and the Old Masters. Buron, Melissa, editor. 221–223. San Francisco, California: Fine Art Museums of San Francisco. 2018
- Asleson, Robyn. 2017. "Rediscovery, Collecting, and Display in Enlightened Princesses: Caroline, Augusta, Charlotte, and the Shaping of the Modern World." In Enlightened Princesses: Caroline, Augusta, Charlotte, and the Shaping of the Modern World. Marschner, Joanna, editor. 176–181. New Haven and London: Yale University. 2017
- Asleson, Robyn. 2017. "The Court as Stage." In Enlightened Princesses: Caroline, Augusta, Charlotte, and the Shaping of the Modern World. Marschner, Joanna, editor. New Haven: Yale University Press in association with the Yale Center for British Art and Historic Royal Palaces. 2017
- Asleson, Robyn. 2012. "Raeburn in America: Scottish-American Art Networks, 1791-1845." In Henry Raeburn: Context, Reception and Reputation. Coltman, Viccy, editor. 2012
- "Academics and Classicists: Leighton, Alma-Tadema, Poynter, Moore, and Others". Pre-Raphaelite and Other Masters from the Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection. London: Royal Academy. 2003
- "Pre-Raphaelite and Aesthetic Movement Pictures in the Forbes Collection" . The Forbes Collection of Pictures and Works of Art . London: Christies. 2003
- "The Idol and His Apprentices: Whistler and the Académie Carmen of Paris". After Whistler: The Artist and His Influence on American Painting. Ed. Merrill, Linda. New Haven and London. 2003
- "Antiquity, Mortality, and Melancholy in Romney's Portraiture". Those Delightful Regions of Imagination: Essays on George Romney. Ed. Kidson, Alex. New Haven and London. 2002
- "On Translating Homer: Prehistory and the Limits of Classicism". Frederic Leighton: Antiquity, Renaissance, Modernity. Ed. Prettejohn, Elizabeth. New Haven and London. 1999
Presentations
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Exhibit
- Asleson, Robyn (Curator). 2020. "John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal." Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, 2020-02-28 to 2020-05-31..
- Asleson, Robyn (Curator). 2019. "Portraits of the World: Denmark." Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, 2019-12-13 to 2020-10-12..
- Asleson, Robyn (Curator). 2019. "Portraits of the World: Korea." Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery, 2018-12-14 to 2019-11-17..
- Asleson, Robyn (Curator). 2018. "Portraits of the World: Switzerland." Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery, 2017-12-15 to 2018-11-12..
- Asleson, Robyn and Merrill, Linda (Curators). 2016. "The Lost Symphony: Whistler and the Perfection of Art." Washington, DC: Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 2016-01-16 to 2016-05-30..
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Invited Talk
- "America Collects Gainsborough", Speaker, National Gallery of Art 2003
- "Notorious Muse: The Actress in British Art and Culture", Speaker, The Bard Graduate Center for Studies of the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture 2003
- "Atlantic Crossings: Patterns in the Acquisition and Admiration of British Paintings in America", Speaker, Yale Center for British Art 2001
- "Albert Moore: The Analysis of Beauty", Speaker, Tate Britain 2000
- "Albert Moore: The Analysis of Beauty", Speaker, Tate Britain
- "America Collects Gainsborough", Speaker, National Gallery of Art
- "Atlantic Crossings: Patterns in the Acquisition and Admiration of British Paintings in America", Speaker, Yale Center for British Art
- "Notorious Muse: The Actress in British Art and Culture", Speaker, The Bard Graduate Center for Studies of the Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture
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Presentation
- Asleson, Robyn. 2016. 'The most melancholy Family Picture': Familial Display and Dysfunction at Blenheim, 1762-1817 [presentation]. North American Conference on British Studies, 2016. Washington, DC.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2017. "Modern Translations from the Greek: Albert Moore and the Classical Ideal," keynote lecture for conference “Rethinking Albert Moore” in collaboration with York Art Gallery's exhibition Albert Moore: Of Beauty and Aesthetics, July 14, 2017, University of York, England [presentation].
- Asleson, Robyn. 2019. A Brief History of Women in American Art [presentation]. Women’s Art and Culture: Korea and the U.S. symposium, Korean Cultural Center,, September 13, 2019. Washington, DC.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2021. Beyond Likeness: New Approaches to Identity in Contemporary Korean and American Art [presentation]. Likeness and Legacy Symposium, 9/11/2021. Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2007. Drawing as Art and Analysis in the Work of Albert Moore [presentation]. Leighton and His Contempories: Drawing in the Late 19th Century, Leighton House Museum, 2007. London.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2020. Eye to I: Self-Portraits from the National Portrait Gallery [presentation]. November 19, 2020. Springfield Museum of Art.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2020. Eye to I: Self-portraits from the National Portrait Gallery [presentation]. August 27, 2020. Boca Raton Museum of Art.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2020. Eye to I: Self-portraits from the National Portrait Gallery [presentation]. Boca Raton Museum of Art.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2017. F. R. Leyland’s Pre-Raphaelite Treasure House [presentation]. College Art Association Conference (NYC), 2017. New York, NY.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2005. Framed by Fame: Sarah Siddons in British Art and Beyond [presentation]. Art Institute of Chicago, 2005. Chicago.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2006. Great Expectations: Constable and the Sketch [presentation]. An Expanding Vision: Constable and the Transformation of Landscape lecture series; National Gallery of Art, 2006. Washington, D.C..
- Asleson, Robyn. 2021. Highlights from the National Portrait Gallery's Collection of Hand-cut Silhouettes [presentation]. Annual conference, 7/25/2021. Virtual: Guild of American Paper Cutters.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2020. John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal [presentation].
- Asleson, Robyn. 2019. Portraits of the World: Korea [presentation]. K-style REMIX, August 17, 2019. Washington, DC.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2016. Pre-Raphaelitism(s) in English Popular Music 1972-2012 [presentation]. College Art Association 104th Annual Conference, February 6, 2016. Washington, DC.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2019. Print and the Democratization of Portraiture [presentation]. Gallery Educators Museum Training, September 5, 2019. Washington, DC.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2021. Public Image/Private Self: Exploring Identity through Self-portraiture [presentation]. June 13, 2021.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2022. Re-presenting the Civil War and Reconstruction Eras through Popular Forms of Portraiture [presentation]. Collecting, Curating, and Consuming American Popular Graphic Arts Yesterday and Today, March 25, 2022. Library Company of Philadelphia: Library Company of Philadelphia.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2022. Re-presenting the Civil War and Reconstruction Eras through Popular Forms of Portraiture," [presentation]. Collecting, Curating, and Consuming American Popular Graphic Arts Yesterday and Today, March 25, 2022. Library Company of Philadelphia.
- Asleson, Robyn and Burgess, Dana Tai Soon. 2021. The Confluence of Three Asian American Artists [presentation]. May 26, 2021.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2016. The Making (and Unmaking) of Whistler’s Lost Symphony [presentation]. Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 2016. Washington, D.C..
- Asleson, Robyn. 2022. Traces of a Life in Bondage: Flora's Silhouette [presentation]. March 23, 2022. National Portrait Gallery.
- Asleson, Robyn. 2021. Two Truths and a Lie: The Performance of Identity in Self-Portraits [presentation]. April 6, 2021. Art Museum of South Texas.
- Asleson, Robyn, Kinderman, William, and Bradley, Adam. 2016. Unfinished Works and the Creative Process [presentation]. Freer and Sackler Galleries Panel Discussion, January 1, 2016. Washington, D.C..
- Asleson, Robyn. 2019. Whistler and Watercolor [presentation]. Watercolor Rediscovered: Whistler in the Nineteenth Century, May 19, 2019. Freer Art Gallery, Washington, D.C..
Contact
Location
- National Portrait Gallery Department
