Nicola Coldstream, FSA, (née Imogen Nicola Carr born June 1942) is a British architectural historian and academic with special interests in the 13th and 14th centuries. Coldstream studied History and Fine Arts at

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and obtained her PhD at the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Professional service and memberships

Coldstream became a

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of London (elected 11 November 1982) and in 1996 she became Deputy Editor of

Grove Dictionary of Art ''Grove Art Online'' is the online edition of ''The Dictionary of Art'', often referred to as the ''Grove Dictionary of Art'', and part of Oxford Art Online, an internet gateway to online art reference publications of Oxford University Press, ...

. In recent years she has held the following positions: Vice-President (Current); Past President (2004–2007) British Archaeological Association; Chairman of the Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland (2009–12); Trustee of Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland (Current); Member of Church of England’s Cathedrals Fabric Commission (2016–2021) and Sculpture and Furnishings Conservation Committee.

Writing

In ''The Decorated Style: Architecture and Ornament, 1240-1360'' (1994), Coldstream highlights the effects on patron influence on architectural design and commissions. ''Medieval Architecture'' (2002), an Oxford History of Art book about the medieval period of architecture was called by '' Contemporary Review'' a "beautifully written survey of a long period which does not flag." ''Medieval Architecture'' is organized by thematic style and emphasizes religious architecture. ''The Art Book'' writes that the book is beautifully illustrated and has "fascinating new perspectives on world art and architecture," however, the book may not be easy for beginners to navigate the terminology. Coldstream contributed to the 2011 volume in honour of Paul Crossley, ''Image, Memory and Devotion: Liber Amicorum Paul Crossley'' (Studies in Gothic Art 2) edited by Zoë Opačić and Achim Timmermann. In her chapter, Coldstream provides "a new interpretation of the so-called

Eleanor Crosses Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

", arguing that "the twelve crosses may have been a calculated allusion to the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21.12."

Selected works

* ''Medieval Architecture'' (Oxford University Press, 2002) * ''The Decorated Style : Architecture and Ornament, 1240–1360'' (University of Toronto Press, 1994) * ''Masons and Sculptors'' (University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division, 1991) * Coldstream contributed an article on fellow medievalist and art historian

Jean Bony Jean Victor Edmond Paul Marie Bony (born in Le Mans, France, 1 November 1908 – died in Brisbane, Australia, 7 July 1995) was a French medieval architectural historian specialising in Gothic architecture. He was Slade Professor of Fine Art at th ...

to ''Women Medievalists and the Academy'', 2005, edited by Jane Chance .

Personal life

Coldstream has published written work and photographs as 'Imogen Coldstream' and 'Nicola Carr', and 'Imogen Coldstream' is the name registered with the Society of Antiquaries. Coldstream was married to the British archaeologist

Nicolas Coldstream John Nicolas Coldstream, , (30 March 1927 – 21 March 2008) was an archaeologist and academic specialising in the Ancient Greek pottery of the Geometric Period. He lectured at Bedford College, rising to become Professor of Aegean Archaeology, a ...

, who was also a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Other information

Photographs contributed by Nicola Coldstream to the Conway Library are currently being digitised by the Courtauld Institute of Art, as part of the Courtauld Connects project.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coldstream, Nicola British women historians 20th-century British women writers Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London 1942 births Living people 20th-century British historians 21st-century British historians 21st-century British women writers British architectural historians