Manton Professor of British Art

Term of appointment:

Permanent full-time faculty appointment at professorial level, with initial 5-year fixed-term as Director of Manton Centre for British Art, and the possibility of renewal for a second fixed-term.

Entitlement for 3 semesters of sabbatical leave to be taken by agreement with the Director.

Start date: 1st March 2025

Applications are invited for the newly created Manton Professorship of British Art at The Courtauld. We are looking to appoint a distinguished scholar of British art to this post, with a world-class record of publication and teaching, exceptional leadership skills, and the ambition and creativity to help establish The Courtauld as the global leader in the teaching and study of British art.

The appointed Professor will serve as the inaugural Director of The Courtauld’s new Manton Centre for British Art, which is to be launched in September 2025, and which has been created through a transformative gift from the Manton Foundation. Set up in 1991, by the philanthropists and leading collectors of British Art,  Sir Edwin and Lady Manton, the Foundation supports a wide range of causes, including the arts, education and culture.

The Manton Centre for British Art will serve as an intellectual hub for art historians, curators, critics, artists and students nationally and internationally, providing a platform for sharing world-leading research and for teaching the next generation of British art specialists. In their role as Director of the Manton Centre, the post-holder will work with other academics and curators at The Courtauld to shape a dynamic culture of teaching and research in the field of British art. They will develop a rich programme of research events, manage the Centre’s administrative and scholarly team, and oversee an ambitious visiting scholar’s initiative. They will also co-ordinate the Manton scholarships programme, which will support MA and PhD students working on British art, and lead on the development of new research and curatorial projects associated with the Centre. Finally, they will be expected to explore and instigate new partnerships with other institutions and individuals interested in the history of British art, both in the UK and across the globe.

As well as leading the Manton Centre for British Art, the post-holder will also teach on The Courtauld’s undergraduate and post-graduate programmes, supervise PhD students, and pursue high-level research. They will also be expected to play a leading role in The Courtauld’s academic and curatorial community, and across the wider scholarly field of British art.

Applications are invited from art-historians specializing in any period of British art, ranging from the early medieval period to the contemporary. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a strong track-record as researchers & teachers, and an ambitious, innovative contribution to the field of British art studies. They should also be able to demonstrate their leadership qualities, and articulate a clear vision for both the new Centre and for the future of British art studies.

This appointment is part of a transformative initiative at The Courtauld, and we are looking to appoint an appropriately exceptional, far-sighted individual, who is energized by the prospect of establishing an exciting new hub of art-historical research, collaboration & debate, and who has all the qualities to ensure that the Manton Centre for British Art will thrive for years to come.

Interviews to be held in the week beginning Monday 2 December 2024

The Courtauld Institute of Art promotes equal opportunities. 

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