Curator of Southern European Art

Location: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2PH

Ashmolean Museum is seeking a new Curator of Southern European Art who will join our Western Art department. 

About the role

Ashmolean’s Department of Western Art holds internationally significant collections and is at the heart of the Museum’s ambitious programme of exhibitions, research and capital development. In this role, you will have curatorial responsibility for the care, development and interpretation of the Italian and Spanish collections, and related Southern European schools, from the fourteenth century to 1945. 

You will develop and curate ambitious exhibitions, contribute to research, publication and teaching, and play a central role in the major West Wing project, helping to shape new gallery displays and improve access to the collections. You will enhance the collections through acquisitions and long-term loans, cultivate relationships with donors and international partners, and contribute to the documentation, digitisation and online presentation of the collections. The role involves close collaboration with colleagues across the Museum, GLAM (Gardens, Libraries, and Museums), and the wider Oxford University, as well as leadership and supervision of fellows, interns, volunteers and students. 

This is a full-time post, working 37.5 hours per week. Subject to the line manager’s approval, this role supports working from home up to two days per week. 

About You

You will bring advanced subject expertise in Southern European art, supported by a relevant postgraduate qualification or equivalent professional experience, and a strong record of research and publication. 

You will have demonstrable experience of planning and delivering major exhibitions, loans and acquisitions, and of building and sustaining international networks. 

You will work effectively both independently and collaboratively, communicate confidently with a wide range of colleagues and stakeholders, and provide leadership and supervision to students and early career professionals. 

You will be able to plan and deliver complex projects to time and budget, and contribute positively to the shared goals of the Museum and University. 

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including:

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days of annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans

More information is available at https://hr.admin.ox.ac.uk/staff-benefits 

How to apply

You will be required to upload your CV and a supporting statement as part of your online application. Your supporting statement should list each of the essential and desirable selection criteria, as listed in the job description, and explain how you meet each one. CVs alone will not be considered. 

We aim to provide a supportive working environment and are happy to discuss training and professional development opportunities. For any role-related enquiries, please contact Prof Frédérique Duyrat (frederique.duyrat@ashmus.ox.ac.uk), Director of Collections. General queries about the recruitment and application process should be directed to the GLAM Recruitment team (recruitment@glam.ox.ac.uk). 

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (GMT) on Wednesday 11 February 2026 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place in person on Thursday 12 March 2026.

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