Posted on in 2022, Americans in Belgium, Belgium
Hannah Rose Blakeley was a 2022-2023 Fulbright Student Researcher in Belgium, where she conducted art historical research at Ghent University for her doctoral dissertation, “The Carnivalesque in Belgian Modernism.” Hannah Rose’s project investigates the ways in which two Belgian artists, James Ensor and Léon Spilliaert, employ local Carnival traditions and motifs in their work to grapple with themes of political upheaval, social transgression, and modern identity. We sat down with Hannah Rose to ask her about her time in Belgium and the advice she would give to a prospective applicant. Q: “What inspired you to come to Belgium for your research, and to apply to the Fulbright Program?” “The Fulbright Program enabled me to conduct on-site research essential for my dissertation, given that much of Ensor’s and Spilliaert’s work is largely inaccessible outside of Belgium. Fulbright provided me the opportunity to repeatedly see these artists’ works in person and to establish an international community of specialists in my field. The […]