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
Illuminating Natural History: The Art and Science of Mark Catesby by Henrietta McBurney Wins Society for the History of Natural History Book Prize 2022
Henrietta McBurney’s Illuminating Natural History: The Art and Science of Mark Catesby, published by the
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linkNews
New Drawing Room Display Now Open
A Harpy and His Brothers: The Wildmans in Bedford Square and Newstead Abbey is now open until 15 September 2023.
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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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link7 June 2023
Research Seminar
The Architecture of Disability
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link8 June 2023
Public Event Series
Globalising the Tudors
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link14 June 2023
Research Seminar
The Small Spaces of Empire
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link15 to 16 June 2023
Conference
Rossettis: In Relation
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See More Events
Read about all upcoming events, including lectures, film screenings, parties and more.
Journeys with 'The Waste Land', Turner Contemporary
Supported by a Curatorial Research Grant from the PMC.
Grants & Fellowships
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 Lecture Course
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.