Welcome
Based in London’s Bedford Square, the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is an educational charity that champions new ways of understanding British art history and culture.
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.
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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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 are in the process of being digitised.
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linkBook an Appointment
Arrange to visit our Public Study Room, or use our remote enquiry service.
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.
Research
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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linkVital Fragments: Nigel Henderson and the Art of Collage
An exhibition and series of short films that examine how collage and assemblage underpinned Nigel Henderson’s practice.
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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.