Research Fellow (British 20thC Drawings)

An exciting opportunity for an early career researcher, this is a fixed-term two-year role at the Ashmolean Museum, based in the Department of Western Art.  We are internationally renowned for our paintings, sculpture, works on paper and decorative arts from about the 1200s to the present day, shown across 23 galleries with the graphic arts kept in our welcoming Print Room.  The British 20th-century drawings collection includes important works by artists such as Gwen John, Augustus John, Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland.

You will have a completed doctorate in History of Art with a special interest in British drawings. You’ll research the British 20th-century drawings collection – about 800 drawings from 1900-1945 – so as to capture vital data, enrich the Ashmolean’s Online Collections, and promote access to the collections. In digitizing and documenting the collection you’ll work directly from the drawings, involving lifting and moving boxes. You’ll build research networks to deepen your knowledge and will have opportunities to share your work with academic and wider audiences.

Curatorial training is a key part of this role, and you will collaborate with curators and colleagues in Western Art and across the Museum, learning especially about the care and conservation of drawings, and about interpretation and public engagement. Reporting to the Senior Curator, you will be a core member of a friendly team in a Museum that is committed to equality and values diversity. 

This is a full-time, fixed-term role, working 37.5 hours per week for two years.

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. CV’s alone will not be considered.  

Our staff and students come from all over the world, and we proudly promote a friendly and inclusive culture. Diversity is positively encouraged, through diverse groups and champions, as well as a number of family-friendly policies, such as the right to apply for flexible working and support for staff returning from periods of extended absence, for example shared parental leave.

Only applications received online by 12.00 midday (BST/GMT) on Monday 21 November 2022 can be considered. Interviews are expected to take place on Monday 12 December 2022.