Dr. Ellen Hurst


About Dr. Ellen Hurst

Dr. Ellen Hurst earned her PhD at the Graduate Center, CUNY. Her research addresses cultural interaction in the early modern world, with a focus on the exchange between northern Italy and Muscovy in the sixteenth century. She has taught art history in the Midwest and on the East Coast, and currently works as a consulting writer, editor, and researcher for several major arts organizations, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the US State Department’s Art in Embassies Program.

Ca' d'Oro, 1422-1440, Venice
This palace no longer shimmers with gold, but its harmonious balconies and bright colors still attract the eye.

Ca’ d’Oro


Palazzo Ducale, 1340 and after, Venice
How’s that for a first impression? Open to the lagoon, this eclectic palace greets visitors with a rhythmic front.

Palazzo Ducale