Kenneth R. Bartlett

Kenneth R. Bartlett, born on November twenty-eighth, nineteen forty-eight, is a distinguished Renaissance historian and professor at the University of Toronto. He earned his Ph.D. in nineteen seventy-eight and has since made significant contributions to the field of Renaissance studies. From nineteen eighty-five to nineteen ninety, he served as the editor of Renaissance and Reformation/Renaissance et Réforme and held the presidency of the Canadian Society for Renaissance Studies from nineteen eighty-two to nineteen eighty-four.

In addition to his editorial and leadership roles, Professor Bartlett was the Founding Director of the University of Toronto Art Centre and served on the Board of the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art from two thousand one to two thousand fifteen. His dedication to faculty development is evident in his thirteen-year tenure as Director of Faculty Programs in Arts and Science, and he was the inaugural Director of the Office of Teaching Advancement from two thousand two until two thousand nine.

Currently, he teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses as a Professor of History and Renaissance Studies at Victoria College, with cross-appointments in the Department of Fine Art and the Centre for Medieval Studies. His consultancy work extends internationally, having contributed to programs at the University of Dhofar in Oman and Capital University of Business and Economics in Beijing. He has also collaborated on fine art projects for public institutions and private collectors.

Professor Bartlett's expertise has led him to co-curate notable exhibitions, including “Gods, Saints, and Heroes: Italian Renaissance Maiolica from the Metropolitan Museum” in two thousand two and serve as a consultant for the Art Gallery of Ontario's exhibition “Raphael and His Circle: Drawings from Windsor Castle” in two thousand. He is also recognized for his engaging cultural tours to Europe, which he leads with his wife, Gillian, through their business, Bartlett Cultural Connections.

In the realm of media, he has appeared on various television programs such as Museum Secrets and The Naked Archaeologist. He is particularly renowned for his five video courses with The Great Courses, including the acclaimed series “The Guide to Essential Italy,” developed in collaboration with the Smithsonian. Notably, he starred in the first-ever virtual reality travel tour, a half-hour exploration of Venice, produced in partnership with The Great Courses, the Smithsonian, and Oculus.