Carol Elaine Barbour

Education

Doctoral candidate at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE-PSL), Histara EA 7347

Research project titled “Visual Reconstructions of the Tabula Cebetis” is supervised by Professor Sabine Frommel

P2i The University of Edinburgh’s Innovation Hub for AI and Data Science, 2025

Turing Scheme/Erasmus Programme. École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris, 2022

M.A. History of Art, University of Toronto (Renaissance Art), 2014

B.A. Honours, High distinction. University of Toronto (History of Art and Visual Studies), 2014

Ontario College of Art (Associate Degree, AOCA), 1993

Conference Presentations

“The Visual Cycles of the Tabula Cebetis, c. 1507-1550.” Emblem Studies Session, International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo, 2025 (Online)

“The Tabula Cebetis in France: 1497 – 1543.” Society for Emblem Studies Conference, Coimbra, Portugal, 2022 (Online)

“Arundel 317: Interwoven in Text and Images.” Rhetoric Session. Renaissance Society of America, Dublin, 2022

“Spirals, Ropes, and Globes: Emblematic Time.” Emblem Studies Session, International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo, 2021 (Online)

“Peregrination of Human Life: Emblems of Choice.” Sixteenth Century Society Conference, St. Louis, 2019

“A World Under Pressure: The Globe in Montenay’s Emblèmes ou devises chrestiennes.” Renaissance Society of America Conference, Toronto, 2019

“Sacred Emblems in Jesuit Sermons: From Aresi’s Delle Sacre Imprese to Bovio’s Rhetoricae Suburbanum.” Sixteenth Century Society Conference, Albuquerque, 2018

“Rebuilding the Temple in Georgette de Montenay’s Emblèmes.”  International Congress of Medieval Studies. The Society of Emblem Studies, Kalamazoo, 2018

“Fit for a Queen of Reform: Georgette de Montenay’s Emblèmes.” Biblyon, livre et création littéraire à Lyon au XVIe siècle, Lyon, 2017

“Fortuna’s Role in the Tabula Cebetis.” 11th International Society for Emblem Studies Conference, Nancy,  2017

“Emblems Turned Upside Down: Tabula Cebetis and Allegories of an Unbridled World.” Renaissance Society of America, Chicago, 2017

Peer Review and Committee Work 

Renaissance Society of America: Academic Publications Now! (ongoing)

Editing and translating essays and books

Journal Of Material Culture, 2018

Academic Publications

“An Allegorical Gift: MS Arundel 317”, in Emblematica: Essays in Word and Image, vol. 7 (2023/2025). Edited by Tamar Cholcman and Pedro Germano Leal 

(Forthcoming) “A World Under Pressure: Georgette de Montenay’s Emblèmes ou devises chrestiennes”

Sabine Frommel and Jean Guillaume, with a contribution by Sara Taglialagamba, Leonardo da Vinci and Architecture (Leiden–Boston: Brill, 2025). Translation from French to English. More information

“The Artist’s Frame of Reference in Antoine Sucquet’s Via Vita Aeternae.” In Ekphrastic Image-Making in Early Modern Europe, 1500 to 1700. Edited by Arthur J. Di Furia and Walter S. Melion, 93-119. (Leiden– Boston: Brill, 2021) More information

“J.E.H. MacDonald: Designs for Reading.” In The Group of Seven Project, 1920-2005. Edited by Dennis Reid et al, 79-81. Toronto: Ontario Association of Art Galleries

Reading the Face: Portraits. Exhibition catalogue and curatorial essay. Edited by Gordon Haat, Cambridge Galleries, Cambridge, ON., 2000

“Second Reading: Body Works, essay on artist Jeanie Thib.” Matriart: a Canadian Feminist Art Journal 5, no. 4 (1995), Gender/Identity issue, edited by Linda Abraham, 8-11

“Crafting the Psyche: Picking up the Pieces: Quilted Stories” Matriart: a Canadian Feminist Art Journal: Art/Craft hierarchy issue 4, no. 4 (1994), edited by Linda Abraham, 32-7

Creative Writing

“Althernal Walk.” Scintilla: The Journal of the Vaughan Association, No. 23. Edited by Joseph Sterrett

“Tree of Jezebel.” Acta Victoriana 144.1, Victoria College, University of Toronto

“Vow.” Draft 14.1. Toronto: Draft Reading Series, 2018

Infrangible: Poems. Edited by Michael Mirola and Elana Wolff. Toronto, Buffalo: Guernica Editions, 2018 More Information

“Manitoulin Sediment.” Poetry Super Highway. Edited by Rick Lupert, online, 2018

“Matera, Basilicata; Neurology; Spoke.” Nine Muses Poetry. Edited by Annest Gwilym, online, 2018

“Spider Wars.” National Poetry Month, Angel House. Edited byAmanda Earl, online April 29, 2018

“Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo’s Self Portrait.” Ekphrastic Review. Edited by Lorette C. Luzajic, Toronto, online journal, 2016

“Finding without looking.” Canthius. Edited by Clare Farley and Cira Nickel, 2016

“Forced Beauty” and “Untitled.” Sein und Werden: Corpus. Edited by Rachell Kendall, Manchester, UK, online Journal, Feb. 2016

“Viral Load.” TransVerse14: Gold Rush/Human Resources: Centre for Comparative Literature, University of Toronto

“Farewell to Woodsyman.” The Fiddlehead, edited by Ross Leckie, no. 242: 89 

“Excrete.” The Toronto Quarterly, no. 6: 56

“Jeannie Thib: Survival Tips” Artword (Spring/Summer, 1994): 24-25

“What Do I Believe In? Interview with artist Lisa Neighbour” Artword (Fall, 1993): 5-6

“Posted Her Incoherent Epistle,” essay in Resources for Feminist Research: Writing and Literature issue 21, no. 3-4 (1992): 16

“Discount Goddess,” photocopy artwork in ISCA: The International Society of Copier Artists 11, no 2 (1992)

“Interruption, Interrogation, Interpretation” Cold City Fiction: Impulse. Edited by Eldon Garnet and Judith Doyle, 1986

Artist Books

Alter Pieces, 2019

Running to the Tower: an artist writing on her paintings, 1997

Votive Spindle Whorl, 1993

Slips of Nature, 1991

The Wind People, 1990

Damaged Goods, 1984. Co-authored with William Basso

Books collected by National Gallery of Canada (Art Metropole Collection), University of Western Ontario, York University, University of Toronto (E.J. Pratt), Woman’s Art Library/Goldsmiths at University of London, British Library, Franklin Furnace Collection, ArtTexte, Banff Centre Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Columbia College, and others

Selected Solo and Group Exhibitions  

Secret Handshake Gallery, Toronto, 2023

Vienna Art Book Fair, 2019

Fanzineist, Vienna, 2019. Artist Talk

Summer Group Exhibition, Secret Handshake Gallery, Toronto, 2019

Do I know you? Alter Pieces, Paintings and Heads.  Artscape Wychwood Barns, Toronto, 2018

Framed by Feminists, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, 2018 

Their Stories: Unidentified Portraits from the Thomas Bouckley Collection, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, 2016. Portrait: A Lapsed Jesuit

Whimsical Architecture at University of Guelph at Humber College Art Gallery, 2006.  More

Pilgrimage at John P. Robarts Library, University of Toronto, 2002

Paintings of Places Known and Beyond,  AWOL Gallery, Toronto, 2000

A Thin Black Line, Artword Gallery, Toronto, 2000

Windbags, The Music Gallery, Toronto, 1997

Away at OO Gallery, 1995

Paintings (1993); Towers and Bridges (1996); Ingresso (1998)at Red Head Gallery

Bookworks at Harbourfront Gallery, Toronto, 1993

Bookworks, AKA Artists’ Centre, Saskatoon, 1993

Red Head Light, Grunt Gallery, Vancouver, 1993

View: Paintings and Books, Samuel J. Zacks Gallery at York University, 1993

Small Press Centre Book Fair, The Mechanics Institute, New York City, 1991

Learn to Read Art: Art Metropole, Basel Art Print Fair, 1991

Kaläzh: Carol Barbour and Cynthia Lorenz at Alma Gallery, Toronto, 1990

Mixed Media at Cambridge Galleries, Cambridge, Ontario, 1990

What Strange Weather We are Having Lately… at the Goëthe Institute, Toronto, 1988

Paintings: Carol Barbour and Sheilagh Buck at Kozak Art Gallery, Toronto, 1986

Five Women Painters, Studio 620, Toronto, 1984

Painting Beyond the Zone, Art Resource Centre, Toronto, 1984

Edifice, Orifice,  Chromozone Gallery, Toronto, 1981

Sacristy, Gallery 76, Ontario College of Art, Toronto, 1980

Student Exhibition, Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto, 1980

Curatorial Work

Gallery and Exhibits Curator, TD Gallery, Special Collections, Toronto Reference Library. 2004-2018. Selected exhibitions: Group of Seven: Style and Design (2006), Drawn Out Stories: The Art of Graphic Novels (2006), Animals are allowed in the Library (2006), Circus Comes to Town (2008)

Guest Curator, Cambridge Galleries, Cambridge, ON. Reading the Face: Portraits, 2000

Grants and Awards

Turing Scheme/Erasmus Programme. Écoles pratiques des hautes études, Paris, 2022

Student Travel Fund (RSA Conference), Warburg Institute, 2022

Dean’s List, University of Toronto, 2012            

Ontario Arts Council, Exhibition Assistance, 1984–1995

Ontario Arts Council, Writer’s Reserve, 1981, 1986

I.O.D.E. Scholarship Award, Ontario College of Art, 1980           

Memberships

International Council of Museums, Renaissance Society of America, Italian Art Society, The Society for Emblem Studies, Historians of Netherlandish Art, Association of Print Scholars, League of Canadian Poets. Former member of the Red Head Gallery