Rosemary Muir Wright

Background

Rosemary Muir Wright was born on March 23, 1943, in Glasgow, Scotland. She was a daughter of George Harris, a master mariner, and Isabel (Williamson) Harris.

Education

Wright received her early education in Glasgow. In 1965, Rosemary received a Master of Arts degree in Medieval and Modern History with the first class honours from the University of St. Andrews. She also attended the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.

Career

In 1966, Rosemary began her career as a curator of Pollok House in Glasgow, a post she held till 1968, when she was made an assistant at Graves Art Gallery in Sheffield. Wright continued to hold this position until 1969.

Between 1969 and 1972, Rosemary acted as a staff tutor at the Open University in Milton Keynes. During the period from 1972 till 1987, she worked as a lecturer in charge at the University of Stirling in Stirling. In 1987, Wright was appointed a senior lecturer at the University of St. Andrews, where she remained until 1997.

Achievements

• Rosemary Muir Wright was a well-known Scottish art historian, educator and author. Her best-known books include "Art and Antichrist in Medieval Europe" (1995) and "Sacred Distance: Representing the Virgin" (2006).

Works

More photos

• book

  • Art and Antichrist in Medieval Europe

    (In this study of medieval iconography, Rosemary Muir Wrig...)

    1995
  • Sacred Distance: Representing the Virgin

    (This fascinating and groundbreaking book explores the way...)

    2006

Religion

Rosemary had a strong Christian faith and was a member of the Society of St. Francis and a member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in St. Andrews.

Views

Rosemary's work is informed by the academic tradition, in which she was trained, but she was curious about fresh ways to explore the evidence of the past.

Quotations: "After an active teaching career in universities, I need to publish ideas, so that others can work on them further, sometimes in the belief, that these could be important. I am fascinated by all things medieval and by the manner, in which images are formed and come to have meaning, especially the way, in which they stimulate response. I am interested in methods of analysis, which will reveal layers of meaning, related to context and audience."

"I write in bursts, determined by my academic schedule, sketching out the whole thing at the idea stage at one go. I work best to a deadline."

"I have a passion for iconographic problems and I noticed the changing shape of the antichrist symbol through the middle ages. Usually, my writing is triggered by something, that catches my eye as unusual."

Membership

Rosemary was a member of the Association of Art Historians, Early Medieval Research Society and Traditional Cosmology Society.

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• "Rosemary was a wonderful colleague, who made a vital contribution to the life of the school in a period of great change. She devised interesting courses on medieval art and architecture for students, who became devoted to her, because she really shared her knowledge and gave a great deal of her time to help them in their studies." — Annette Carruthers

Interests

• Theology

Connections

Rosemary married Tom Muir Wright on January 30, 1975. Their marriage produced two children — Michael and Frederick.

Father:

George Harris

Mother:

Isabel (Williamson) Harris

child:

Michael Wright

child:

Frederick Wright

husband:

Tom Muir Wright