A Gallery for the Nation: F.W. Burton and his Trustees
Collaborative Doctoral Award
This project, in collaboration with Professor Fintan Cullen at the University of Nottingham, will examine the role of the Trustees of the National Gallery who were active during the directorship of Sir Frederic Burton (1874-94).
The project will explore the tensions and areas of accord that existed between the Trustees and Director and will analyse how this relationship affected the running of the premier art gallery in the UK in the 19th century. One of the major issues was the Gallery’s perceived role in the later 19th century – its status as the ‘national’ treasure house for western paintings – since at this period its centrality was challenged by the creation of comparable institutions in Edinburgh and Dublin.
The National Gallery supervisor is Dr Susanna Avery-Quash.
About the Collaborative Doctoral Awards
The National Gallery offers a small number of Collaborative Doctoral Awards, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and run in partnership with higher education institutions. These studentships focus on specific themes relevant to the Gallery's collection and wider research themes.