Slade Professor of Fine Art

Slade Professor of Fine Art is a prestigious professorial position in the field of art history and fine art at the University of Oxford. Established in 1869 from a bequest by art collector Felix Slade, the professorship is one of the oldest and most distinguished chairs of its kind in the world. Its holders have included many of the most influential art critics, historians, and artists of the modern era, delivering public lecture series that have shaped the discipline.

History of the Slade Professorship

The position was founded through the will of Felix Slade, a noted collector of glass and prints who left bequests to establish professorships at Oxford, Cambridge, and University College London. His endowment at Oxford, finalized in 1869, specifically aimed to promote the systematic study of fine art within the university. The inaugural series of lectures was delivered by the towering Victorian critic John Ruskin, setting a precedent for the professorship's public intellectual role. The creation of the chair coincided with a broader 19th-century movement to institutionalize art history as an academic discipline, influencing similar developments at institutions like the Ashmolean Museum and the National Gallery.

List of Slade Professors

A succession of eminent figures have held the title, often appointed for fixed terms. Following John Ruskin, early professors included the architect George Edmund Street and the painter Alma-Tadema. The 20th century saw a diverse range of holders, from the pioneering art historian Roger Fry, a champion of Post-Impressionism, to the sculptor Henry Moore and the painter Richard Hamilton, a founder of the Pop art movement. More recent professors have included the architectural historian Andrew Saint, the curator Neil MacGregor, and the contemporary art historian Tamara Trodd, appointed in 2023. A parallel professorship exists at the University of Cambridge, with notable holders such as Nikolaus Pevsner.

Role and responsibilities

The primary duty of the professor is to deliver a series of public lectures, known as the Slade Lectures, on topics within the broad field of fine art. These lectures are a significant event in the Oxford academic calendar and are often later published as influential books. Beyond lecturing, the professor is expected to engage with the university's artistic community, contributing to the intellectual life of colleges and departments such as the Ruskin School of Art and the History of Art Department. The role is traditionally one of advocacy and scholarship rather than routine undergraduate teaching, influencing discourse at institutions like the British Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts.

Notable holders and legacy

The professorship's legacy is profoundly tied to the groundbreaking work of its holders. John Ruskin's inaugural lectures analyzed the work of Michelangelo and Tintoretto, while Roger Fry used his platform to introduce British audiences to Paul Cézanne and the School of Paris. The tenure of Kenneth Clark in the 1960s, following his work on the television series *Civilisation*, brought art history to a mass audience. Figures like Anish Kapoor and Catherine Malabou have continued this tradition of connecting scholarly inquiry with contemporary artistic practice, their published lectures becoming key texts studied at institutions like the Courtauld Institute of Art and Yale University.

Associated institutions and influence

The professorship is intrinsically linked to several key institutions within and beyond Oxford. It is closely associated with the Ashmolean Museum, where professors have often drawn upon collections for their lectures, and the Ruskin School of Art, the university's fine art studio department. The influence of the lecture series extends globally, with many published volumes becoming standard references. The model of the Slade Professorship has informed art education at universities worldwide, including Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley, while its holders frequently contribute to major exhibitions at venues like the Tate Modern and the Venice Biennale.

Category:University of Oxford professors Category:Art history Category:Chairs (academic)