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
Andrew Edmunds (1943–2022)
All of us at the Centre were saddened to hear of the recent death of Andrew Edmunds. As well as enjoying great renown as
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2022 Write on Art Winners
The Paul Mellon Centre and Art UK are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2022 cycle of Write on Art. Aimed at stude
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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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linkUntil 6 January 2023
Display
Fleeting Encounters: British Art and the Connoisseurial Gaze
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link5 October 2022
Research Seminar
Rethinking the Artist Catalogue for the Online Age: Thomas Girtin 1775–1802
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link7 October 2022
Research Lunch
Art History in Britain: A Scottish Innovation
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link14 October 2022
Research Lunch
Beyond William Mitchell’s British “Colourful Crusade”; Creating Art for the Urban Landscapes of the United States (1972–77)
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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.
Journeys with 'The Waste Land', Turner Contemporary
Supported by a Curatorial Research Grant from the PMC.
Grants & Fellowships
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.
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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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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linkSculpting Lives
A podcast series exploring the artworks, networks, connections and relationships of women sculptors.
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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.