Lauren Jimerson, PhD

Art Historian and Licensed Guide in Paris

My Journey

My journey began 10 years ago when I gave my first tour at the Vatican. Since then I have led over a thousand tours. As a licensed guide in Paris, my goal is to make art and history come to life and to create lasting memories. I do this by turning history into a compelling story, paying attention to your specific interests, encouraging questions, and sparking discussion. With a doctorate in art history, I offer my expertise in a way that is engaging and relatable to visitors of all ages.

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In addition to sharing my passion for art with visitors in museums in Paris, I am an art historian and independent scholar. My research examines modern art in France and the U.S., with a focus on gender studies, women artists, and the intersections of art and literature. I earned my doctorate from Rutgers University, master's degree from the Courtauld Institute and bachelor’s from Cornell University. My research has benefited from grants including the Fulbright Fellowship to France, a Mellon Dissertation Fellowship, and a doctoral exchange program at the École normale supérieure. 

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I believe that art history can be accessible, comprehensible and meaningful for all. Through storytelling, I bring art history to life.

Media Appearances

Interviews on the international TV channel France 24 and the Today Show on NBC. 

Research

I am currently writing a book on women artists in early twentieth century France and their representations of the nude. This book will feature three important yet understudied painters: Suzanne Valadon, Émilie Charmy and Marie Vassilieff. 

My article, “Defying Gender: Suzanne Valadon and the Male Nude,” was published in the Woman’s Art Journal (May 2019). My book chapter on “Social Media in the Art History Classroom” (co-authored with Allison Leigh) is set to appear in the Routledge Companion to Digital Humanities and Art History this year.

Testimonials

"Our tour with Lauren was absolutely a highlight of our trip. Afterward, we kept talking about how we never would have known ...what to see, or the story behind the things we saw if we had roamed the museum ourselves... She made sure we got to see the pieces and artifacts that were of importance to us. She then sent us a follow up email with links to the pieces we saw, which is going to be tremendously helpful when  going back over photos.Lauren is warm, kind, and profoundly knowledgeable. The whole trip was amazing, and Lauren was absolutely a part of making it so. I don’t recommend visiting without her." - Kristen Floyd, Baltimore MD

"My sister and I booked Lauren for a tour around the oldest parts of the city and were just amazed at how she navigated the twisty turvy streets and while showing us so many lovely pockets I would have never noticed for myself. It was more like hanging out with a great friend who made us feel like we belonged. Like we weren’t anonymous in the city. Truly — her expertise and friendly manner made us friends after that and one of our favorite memories of our trip!" Elizabeth Fiorito, Hemet CA

"I can honestly say that Lauren made our trip to Paris spectacular...Lauren's knowledge, her passion, her energy, her recommendations, her time management-everything about Lauren introducing us to Paris was perfect. Lauren showed us where the locals hung out and gave us recommendations of where to go on our free time. Our time with Lauren did not feel like we were with a tour guide. We felt like we were with a Parisian Family member who had lived and studied in Paris her entire life." -Candace Chazen, Gaithersburg, MD 

"Lauren’s breadth of knowledge is vast and she makes the tours interesting for both the adults and especially the kids. My kids adore her and the last time we went to Paris the first thing they asked was if we were seeing Lauren. It seems there isn’t a single fact about the City Of Lights that she does not know. We cannot wait to go back and see more of that fabulous city with her!" Erika White, Miami, FL

"Lauren clearly has tremendous in-depth knowledge... she also has a gift for sharing information in a professional, but friendly and easy-going manner that made it easy for me to follow what she was saying and to retain the information that she shared with me. All of this combined to make my tour an extremely interesting and enlightening experience" - David Parker, New York, NY