A historian of Polish culture and literature. His research interests include the history of Polish culture (with particular emphasis on the late Baroque culture), the phenomenon of exoticism in European civilisation, the tradition of orality in Old Polish literature, as well as the stylistic categories of Mannerism and Rococo in literature and art. In recent years, he has focused his research on the description and documentation of Polish calvaries, seen in the light of the theory of communication.
Author of the books: Poezja późnego baroku. Główne kierunki przemian (1989, 2nd Degree Individual Award of the Minister of National Education 1990), Egzotyzm w literaturze staropolskiej. Wybrane problemy (1999, Individual Award of the Minister of National Education 2000), Staropolskie kręgi inspiracji. Studia o literaturze (2004, Award of the Rector of the University of Warsaw 2004), Oralność i mnemonika. Późny barok w kulturze polskiej (2009, 2nd Degree Individual Award of the Minister of Science and Higher Education), Kalwarie polskie. Perspektywa komunikacyjna (2022).
Editor, co-editor and co-author of collective volumes: Autor – tekst – cenzura. Prace na Kongres Slawistów w Krakowie w roku 1998 (1998), Barok w Polsce i w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej. Drogi przemian i osmozy kultur, (2000), Corona scientiarum (2004), Barok polski wobec Europy. Sztuka przekładu (2005), Humanistyczne modele kultury nowożytnej wobec dziedzictwa starożytnego (2010), Mnemonika i pamięć kulturowa epok dawnych (2013).
He led the topic “Humanistic Models of Modern Culture in the Face of Ancient Heritage” (2009–2010) in the commissioned research project of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education “Humanism. Ideas, Trends and Paradigms of the Humanities in Polish Culture” (PBZ-MNiSW-03/II/2007); and the project “Mnemonics and Cultural Memory of Old Eras” (2012–2014, NPRH 11H 11 003180).
Since 1994 he has been a member of the Editorial Committee and the Editorial Board of the semi-annual “Barok. History – Literature – Art”. From 2003 to 2018 he was a member of the Committee on Literary Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences, since 2008 he has been a member of the Polish Cultural Studies Society, since 2014 he has been a corresponding member of the Warsaw Scientific Society. Currently, he is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences.
In 2022, he received the Award of the Rector of the University of Warsaw for his entire scientific and didactic activity.