Dr. Oscar Vázquez

Biography

Oscar E. Vázquez is a Professor of Art History at the University of Illinois, holding a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His research focuses on eighteenth- and early twentieth-century Spanish and Latin American visual cultures, exploring the roles of collections, markets, patronage systems, and academies in shaping artistic production and historiography. Vázquez's teaching interests encompass contemporary graffiti and murals, the construction of spaces for Latino/as, and the representation of national narratives within the contexts of Mexico, Spain, and the Caribbean. He is the author of 'Inventing Art Collection: Patrons, Markets and the State in Nineteenth-Century Spain' and 'The End of Degeneration: Visual Cultures of Modern Spain', both published by Pennsylvania State University Press. His edited anthology, 'Academies and Schools of Art in Latin America', was released by Routledge. Vázquez has written numerous essays published in scholarly periodicals including Art History, Word & Image, and Art Journal. His recent project investigates the practices and politics of copying the human figure in the context of pedagogy and ideology within art academies.

Research Interests