Bryan C. Keene

Bio

Bryan C. Keene (he/él/they/elle) is assistant professor of art history at Riverside City College and a former associate curator of manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. He specializes in codex cultures of a global Middle Ages and fantasy medievalisms.

Stories

  1. The Medieval (and Not-So-Medieval) History Behind Netflix’s Cursed

    Article

    A black and white illustration shows a woman by a lake with her arm raised talking to a man in full knight's armor and an older robed man. The illustration has a decorative leaf border.

    Looking for history in the latest version of King Arthur

    Jul 31, 2020

  2. Art, Pride, and the Rainbow Flag

    Article

    Rainbow flag against a blue sky

    In celebration of Pride, we draw on Getty’s collections to highlight inclusion and humanity

    Jun 8, 2020

  3. Which Disney Movie Is the Most Medieval?

    Article

    Spoiler Alert: It’s not Frozen

    May 28, 2020

  4. Images of African Kingship, Real and Imagined

    Article

    Heinrich Bünting’s Map of Africa from Travel through Sacred Scripture, Magdeburg, Germany, 1597

    A brief introduction to famous African rulers and their impact on medieval and Renaissance European culture

    Dec 4, 2019

  5. Exhibition Explores Balthazar, an African King, in Medieval and Renaissance Art

    Article

    Close up of an illustration of Balthazar's face.

    Learn about the many portrayals of Balthazar, now on view at the Getty Center

    May 9, 2019

  6. Written in the Stars: Astronomy and Astrology in Medieval Manuscripts

    Article

    A bearded man wearing a white turban and orange cloak lined with blue holds his left hand to his head and a book in his right hand while he peers up at the sky.

    Faith, science, and stargazing influenced everyday decisions in the Middle Ages

    Apr 30, 2019

  7. For the Throne: Medievalists’ Musings on Game of Thrones

    Article

    A composite of details from the images that appear in this post.

    Curators connect medieval art to each episode of the final season of Game of Thrones

    Apr 11, 2019

  8. Scholars Respond to an Exhibition about Medieval Prejudice

    Article

    Decorative banner with details of a medieval manuscript and text reading Prejudice & Persecution in the Medieval World

    Three new essays inspired by a recent Getty manuscripts exhibition consider race, anti-Semitism, and gender identity in the Middle Ages

    Mar 6, 2019

  9. Reconstructing a Masterpiece of Choir Book Illumination by Niccolò da Bologna

    Article

    A detail of a medieval illumination inside of the letter G. At the center is the Virgin Mary dressed in all white.

    Leaves by the Bolognese artist represent six of the 20 known pages surviving from a Renaissance gradual

    Feb 8, 2018

  10. More Details on Exhibition-in-Progress on Outcasts of the Medieval World

    Article

    Manuscript illumination of a seated man with a sword in hand and demon on his shoulder, with a boy holding a harp standing in front of him

    Manuscripts curators examine imagery of marginalized groups in European manuscripts

    Oct 3, 2017