Professor of the History of Art at the University of Oxford and Trinity College

Location: Oxford, UK
Salary: Professor Grade A20
Start date: 1 October 2027
Application deadline: 19 October 2026, 12:00 UK time

The University of Oxford’s Faculty of History and Trinity College are seeking applications for the Professorship of the History of Art.

This prestigious appointment is the most senior post in History of Art at Oxford and one of the most prominent positions in the discipline in the UK. The Professor will play an important leadership role in maintaining and strengthening the University’s international reputation for research and teaching in art history.

The successful candidate will join the Department of the History of Art during a period of development marked by the creation of new academic posts and an expansion in postgraduate student numbers.

About the Role

The Professor will maintain the Chair’s outstanding record of research, leadership and teaching while fostering an inclusive and collaborative research culture within the Department and across the collegiate University.

They will undertake exceptional and innovative research within their field of expertise and promote art history in all its aspects to academic and public audiences.

The Professor will play a central role in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision. They will also provide intellectual guidance for the research, exhibition curation and knowledge-exchange projects undertaken by colleagues.

The post is one of 12 statutory professorships within Oxford’s Faculty of History. Statutory professors provide leadership across different areas of historical research and contribute substantially to the Faculty’s wider administration and governance.

Responsibilities

The Professor of the History of Art will:

• Conduct internationally significant and innovative research;
• Provide intellectual leadership within the Department of the History of Art and Faculty of History;
• Encourage excellence in teaching and research;
• Foster an inclusive and collaborative academic culture;
• Teach and supervise students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
• Promote connections between the Department and art historians across the collegiate University;
• Draw on Oxford’s museums and collections to advance research and teaching in visual and material culture;
• Support research, exhibition-making and knowledge-exchange projects;
• Advocate for the importance of art history within the University and beyond;
• Contribute to the administration and leadership of the Department and Faculty;
• Serve periodically as Head of the Department of the History of Art;
• Participate regularly in the History Faculty Board; and
• Be prepared to hold other significant leadership positions within the Faculty.

Candidate Profile

The University is seeking an art historian with:

• An internationally recognised record of research;
• The ability to undertake exceptional and innovative scholarship;
• A proven ability to teach and inspire students at every level;
• Experience providing intellectual and organisational leadership;
• The ability to foster collaboration among colleagues;
• A commitment to inclusive teaching and research cultures;
• The ability to engage productively with museums and collections; and
• The capacity to communicate the importance of art history to academic and wider public audiences.

Applications are welcomed from candidates specialising in any area of art history.

The Department’s expertise extends from the medieval period to the present and encompasses European art, Asian art and the art of the Americas. Its teaching and research address media including film, photography, architecture and the applied arts.

The Department particularly seeks to continue expanding the geographical, chronological and material range of the artistic practices studied by its staff and students.

Selection Process

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to submit up to 12,000 words of published or unpublished writing based on their current research.

They will also attend an interview and may be asked to deliver a presentation to the electoral board, a lecture to members of the Faculty of History, or both.

The University of Oxford is committed to equality and values diversity.

About the Department

The Department of the History of Art is part of Oxford’s Faculty of History, one of the largest history faculties in the world.

Its work encompasses research, teaching, exhibition curation and knowledge exchange while drawing on the University’s extensive museums, libraries and collections.

Recent holders of the Chair of History of Art include Martin Kemp, Craig Clunas and Geoff Batchen.