I would first like to thank my advisor, Dr. Juliet Bellow, whose patience, wisdom, and kindness helped me create a thesis that I am proud of.  I would also like to thank Dr. Ying-chen Peng and Dr. Sam Sadow for their seminars and guidance throughout my second year. You all have made the incredibly chaotic and difficult process of writing a thesis a little easier. 

A wholehearted thank you to my cohort, who have become my best friends and vocal supporters. I could not imagine going through this without you all.

To my mom, my very first teacher, who ignited my love for art. To my dad, who has taught me to pursue anything I could dream of.  To my brother Thomas, who would always call me while I was writing and then give me a hard time for hanging up. To my oma, who values learning above all, every class I take is for you. Lastly, to David, who supports me in every way he knows how, thank you for believing in me. 

Olivia Agate, “To His Most Gracious Majesty: The Anti-Royal Sentiments of John Martin’s Belshazzar’s Feast,” Master’s Capstone Project, American University, 2025 https://edspace.american.edu/belshazzarsfeast/.

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