Christopher Brown (museum director)
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Professor Christopher Brown | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Christopher Brown (1984) | |
| Born | Christopher Paul Hadley Brown 15 April 1948 |
| Occupation | Museum director |
| Employer | University of Oxford |
Christopher Paul Hadley Brown, CBE (born 15 April 1948) is a British art historian and academic. He was director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England from 1998 to 2014.[1][2] He is recognised as an authority on Sir Anthony van Dyck.[1]
Brown was born on 15 April 1948, in Tangier, Morocco.[3][4] His father flew Spitfires during World War II and joined civil aviation in the post war period, flying for Gibraltar Airways and British European Airways.[4] He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, an all-boys public school in Hertfordshire.[3] He then matriculated into St Catherine's College, Oxford to study history.[3][5] In 1966, he graduated from the University of Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Modern History.[6] This was later promoted to Master of Arts (MA Oxon) as per tradition.[3] He remained at St Catherine's to complete a Diploma in Art History.[3][6] He then undertook post-graduate research at the Courtauld Institute of Art and completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.[5]
Career
From 1971 to 1998, he worked at the National Gallery, London; first as Curator of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, eventually as Chief Curator.[2] He was appointed director of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford in 1998 and it was largely due to him that the museum, especially the front part, was rebuilt.[citation needed]
Brown sits on the Prix Pictet advisory board.[citation needed]
