Donald Stadtner

Donald M. Stadtner is an American art historian and former associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He is best known for his research and publications on Indian art and architecture, particularly early Buddhist and Hindu traditions across South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Donald M. Stadtner
Born	c. 1947 (age 77–78)
Nationality	American
Spouse	Kwanchai
Academic background
Alma mater	University of California, Berkeley University of London
Academic work
Discipline	Art history, South Asian art, Buddhist studies
Institutions	University of Texas at Austin
Notable works	Sacred Sites of Burma Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit

Education and career

Stadtner received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned a Ph.D. in art history from the University of London under the supervision of renowned art historian Deborah Howard.^[1]

He served for over two decades as an associate professor of art history at the University of Texas at Austin. After his academic career, he became an independent scholar and frequent contributor to museum exhibitions, international symposia, and journals on Asian art, including numerous articles in Artibus Asiae, Orientations, and the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians.^[2]

His research has included fieldwork across India, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar (Burma), with a focus on temple architecture, iconography, and regional religious practices.

Publications

Stadtner has published extensively in books, museum catalogues, and peer-reviewed journals, including:

• Sacred Sites of Burma: Myth and Folklore in an Evolving Spiritual Realm (Bangkok: River Books, 2011). ISBN 978-9749863961.^[3]
• Ancient Pagan: Buddhist Plain of Merit (Bangkok: River Books, 2005). ISBN 978-9749863275.^[4]
• Sacred Sites of Sri Lanka (2024)

Affiliations

Stadtner has collaborated with institutions such as the Asian Art Museum (San Francisco), the Smithsonian Institution, and the Asia Society. He has lectured internationally, including in Thailand, India, and the United States.^[1]

See also

• Arts and entertainment in India
• Southeast Asian arts