Expertise

Dr. Arpen’s research centers on eighteenth-century Europe, with particular interests in gender and representations of the body. She is continuing research related to her dissertation, which examined the eighteenth-century French interest in bathing from the perspective of the arts, analyzing a wide range of visual material—including paintings, sculptures, prints, and architectural interiors—to explore the interconnections between bathing and period discourses on aesthetics, sensation, and pleasure.

At Auburn, she has taught introductory art history courses covering the prehistoric to contemporary periods, as well as upper-level courses on South Asia and eighteenth-century Europe.

Areas of Expertise

  • art history

Research Interests

  • eighteeth-century Europe, gender and representation
Degrees
BA, University of Florida, Art History
MA, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Art History
PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Art History