Welcome
Based in London’s Bedford Square, the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is an educational charity and research institute that champions new ways of understanding British art history and culture.
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linkNews
Tickets Released for The Practice of Art History in Britain, 1900–60: Paul Oppé’s Art Worlds
Book now for 30 November and 1 December 2023 at the Paul Mellon Centre or online.
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linkNews
Announcing a New Partnership Between Arts Organisation Autograph and our Climate & Colonialism project
Over the next three years, Autograph and the PMC will collaborate on a series of events and conversations.
British Blonde: Women, Desire and the Image in Post-War Britain
Join us for the Autumn 2023 Paul Mellon Lectures beginning Wednesdays 18 October at the Gorvy Lecture Theatre, V&A Museum.
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linkThe British Marilyn - Diana Dors
18 October 2023, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Join us for a drinks reception and the inaugural lecture of the series looking at the life and image of Diana Dors, known as the “British Marilyn”.
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linkBlonde Noir – Ruth Ellis
25 October 2023, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. The last woman to be hanged in Britain after being found guilty for the murder of her lover. This lecture draws on the archives of press photography, examining images of Ruth Ellis for what they reveal the image of “Blonde Noir”.
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linkCarry On Blonde – Barbara Windsor
1 November 2023, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Consider the role of humour in “British Blonde”, focusing on the Carry On films, starring Barbara Windsor. This lecture reassesses post-war British humour and its role in defining woman as body and the female body as comic.
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linkSixties Blonde – Pauline Boty
8 November 2023, 6:30pm – 7:30pm. The work of British pop artist, Pauline Boty, expresses many of the tensions for young women in the 1960s, the possibilities and constraints, liberation and collusion. This lecture considers Boty’s work and her image.
Journeys with 'The Waste Land', Turner Contemporary
Supported by a Curatorial Research Grant from the PMC.
Grants & Fellowships
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linkGrants for individuals
Funding to support research projects and publications.
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linkGrants for institutions
Funding to support events, curatorial, publication and conservation initiatives.
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linkApplication guidance & FAQs
Tips and guidance for preparing your application.
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linkNew Discoveries
Watch short films that reveal hidden stories, fascinating objects and lost narratives.
Events
We run a thriving programme of events both in person and online. These events are geared to scholars, students and all those with a general interest in British art. They offer you the chance to engage with an extraordinary variety of topics, ideas and thinkers.
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link2 October 2023
Public Event Series
Introductory Session: Printmaking for Change
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link4 October 2023
Public Event Series
Collections Visit: Printmaking and Politics
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link7 October 2023
Public Event Series
Risograph Workshop: Printmaking and Protest
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link9 October 2023
Public Event Series
Collections Visit: Printmaking and Health
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See More Events
Read about all upcoming events, including lectures, film screenings, parties and more.
Publications
We publish world-class monographs and catalogues on an ever-expanding range of topics, alongside a host of innovative digital publications, including our prize-winning journal British Art Studies.
Archives & Library
Visit our Public Study Room where you can explore our rich library and archival holdings. See below for how to make an appointment and search our catalogues.
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linkAccess our Archives & Library Collections
Visit our Public Study Room, make an enquiry, request digital copies, or search our catalogues.
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linkArchive Collections
The papers of art historians, museum directors, curators, dealers, art critics, collectors and others working on the history of British art and architecture.
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linkLibrary Collections
More than 26,000 books, pamphlets, exhibition catalogues and theses available for reference.
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linkPhoto Archive Collections
More than 100,000 reference photographs of British paintings, decorative painting, sculpture, drawings and prints now digitised.
Learning
Our aim is to make British art history and visual culture accessible to people of all ages by encouraging thought-provoking engagement with artworks and art historical research. We want people to think about how they ‘see’; and foster a sense of shared interest and community.
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linkYale in London
A study abroad programme for Yale students.
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linkPublic Events
Introducing innovative research in British art history to the public.
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linkWrite on Art
A writing competition to inspire tomorrow's art historians.
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linkGraduate Summer School
A lively twelve-day programme of workshops, discussions and encounters with historical archives and contemporary practice.
Networks
Our networks connect and support researchers and professionals engaging with British art, at different stages of their working lives.
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linkBritish Art Network
A network for curators, sharing expertise, research and ideas on British art.
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linkDoctoral Researchers Network
A supportive group of PhD students, offering academic and professional training.
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linkEarly Career Researchers Network
A supportive peer-to-peer network of people working to establish careers as researchers in British art.
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linkSupporting Emerging Researchers and Professionals
We also run competitions and events such as British Art in Motion and the Art Trade Seminar.
Research Projects
We are committed not only to supporting the most original kinds of research on British art and architecture, but also to producing and shaping it ourselves. View a selection of our in-house research projects below.
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linkClimate & Colonialism
A multi-year project aiming to provide a testing ground for transhistorical conversations.
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linkLondon, Asia
Considering London as a key yet under-explored site in the construction of art historical narratives in Asia, this project is working towards a more expanded and diverse narrative of British art.
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linkArt & the Country House
Explore the collection and display of art in eight country houses around Britain.
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linkThe Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: A Chronicle, 1769–2018
A major online publication celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Royal Academy of Arts.