Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art is a scholarly centre in London devoted to the study of British Art. It was founded in 1970 and opened to the public in 1977, and is endowed by a gift from Paul Mellon. Since 1996, it has been situated at 16 Bedford Square in a Grade I listed building. This building houses an outstanding library of 12,000 volumes focused on British Art, as well as a number of important manuscript collections.

Although incorporated as a British educational charity, the Centre has close links to Yale University. As well as providing teaching in London for American students, the Centre supports a publication programme through Yale University Press and co-ordinates its activities with the sister institution, the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, which was also donated by Mellon and contains his collection of British paintings in Louis Kahn's famous building.

The Center is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and is a member of the Association of Research Institutes in Art History.

[edit] Notable people

Michael Kitson, Director of Studies 1985-1995
Martin Postle Assistant Director, Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, London, expert on Sir Joshua Reynolds