Professor of the History of Art

The Faculty of History and Trinity College are seeking applications for the Professorship of the History of Art, available from 1 October 2027. This is a prestigious professorship which has an important leadership role within and beyond Oxford in maintaining and enhancing the University’s global reputation in the field of the History of Art. The Professor will join the Department of the History of Art at an exciting moment in its development, with the recent creation of new academic posts and expansion in postgraduate numbers.

We are looking to appoint an art historian who has an internationally-recognised research record; a proven ability to teach and inspire students at all levels; and the ability to provide leadership for colleagues in the Faculty and to draw on the University’s world-class museums and collections to promote the study of visual and material culture, broadly defined, both for the University community and for a wider public. In this way, you will act as an advocate for the importance of art history as a discipline, within and beyond the University.

We welcome applications from candidates with expertise in any area of the History of Art. The Department has a distinguished reputation in many areas of Art History from the Medieval period onwards. Its established expertise in European Art has been complemented by a more global understanding of the discipline, including developing particular strengths in Asian Art and the Art of the Americas, and it has encouraged teaching and research in media ranging from film and photography to architecture and the applied arts. The Department hopes in the coming years to continue to extend its expertise geographically and chronologically, as well as in terms of the range of media and artistic practices its staff and students explore.

The closing date for applications is 12:00 noon UK time on Monday 19 October 2026. Interviews are expected to be held on 23 and 24 November 2026.

Informal enquiries are welcome and may be made in strict confidence to Professor Martin Conway, Chair of the History Faculty Board (martin.conway@history.ox.ac.uk).

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