British School at Rome explained

British School at Rome
Coordinates:	41.9183°N 12.4812°W
Established:	1901
Type:	Research centre Humanities and visual arts
Director:	Abigail Brundin (2021–present)

The British School at Rome (BSR) is a British interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture established in Rome. Historical and archaeological study are at the core of its activities.

History

The British School at Rome (BSR) was established in 1901 and granted a UK Royal Charter in 1912. Its mission is "to promote knowledge of and deep engagement with all aspects of the art, history and culture of Italy by scholars and fine artists from Britain and the Commonwealth, and to foster international and interdisciplinary exchange."^[1]

Following the International Exhibition of Art in Rome in 1911, the site of the Edwin Lutyens-designed British Pavilion in the Valle Giulia was granted to the UK on condition that it be used exclusively as a British research centre for archaeology, history and the fine arts. In 1916, after significant adaptation by Lutyens, the BSR moved into what is still its home. In 2002, a purpose-built lecture theatre and gallery spaces, designed by Hugh Petter and sponsored by the Sainsbury family, were opened by Princess Alexandra.^[2] The BSR is immediately adjacent to the Villa Borghese gardens and the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna.

Awards and fellowships

The BSR awards residential scholarships and fellowships to artists and scholars from the Commonwealth for periods of three to twelve months. The awardees live in the BSR building and have access to its specialist reference library.^[3] Recipients of the fine art awards are provided with studio and workshop facilities.^[4]

Awards, based on an open access application system, are made in the following fields: Archaeology of Italy and the Mediterranean; Late Antique and Medieval History; Renaissance and Enlightenment studies; Modern Italian Studies; Architectural History; Architecture including Landscape Architecture; contemporary visual arts practice.^[5]

Fine Arts awards

^[6]

Humanities awards

^[7]

Governance and leadership

The British School at Rome is one of the sponsored institutes of the British Academy, whilst maintaining itself as an autonomous body.^[8] It receives financial support from the British Academy, award sponsors, private donors and its membership,^[9] and is a registered charity under English law.

The BSR is led by a Director, who has traditionally been a senior scholar in the fields of Classical history, art history, or archaeology.

List of directors

• Gordon McNeil Rushforth – First Director^[10]
• Sir Henry Stuart-Jones (1903–1905)^[11]
• Thomas Ashby (1906–1925)^[12]
• Bernard Ashmole (1925–1928)^[13]
• Arthur Smith (1928–1930, 1932)^[14]
• Ian Richmond (1930–1932)^[15]
• Arthur Smith (1932) – Second term
• Colin Hardie (1933–1936)^[16]
• Ralegh Radford (1936–1939)^[17]
• No director during World War II (1939–1945)
• John Bryan Ward-Perkins (1946–1974)^[18]
• Dr David Whitehouse (1974–1984)^[19]
• Professor Donald A. Bullough (1984) – Acting Director^[20]
• Professor Graeme Barker (1984–1988)^[21]
• Professor Richard Hodges (1988–1995)^[22]
• Professor Andrew Wallace-Hadrill (1995–2009)^[23]
• Professor Christopher Smith (2009–2017)^[24]
• Professor Stephen Milner (2017–2020)^[25]
• Professor Chris Wickham (2020 – September 2021)^[26]
• Professor Abigail Brundin (September 2021 – present)

Notable alumni

Humanities

Bibliography

• T. P. Wiseman, A Short History of the British School at Rome, 1990
• A. Wallace-Hadrill, The British School at Rome: One Hundred Years, 2001

External links

• The British School at Rome

Notes and References

1. Wallace-Hadrill, A., 2001. The British School at Rome: One Hundred Years, London: British School at Rome
2. John, Richard, 2010. Robert Adam: The Search for a Modern Classicism, Images Publishing.
3. Web site: Walter, John, 2008. John Walter – British School at Rome . a-n . March 1, 2012.
4. Web site: Kevin Mckay BSR blog.
5. Web site: Abbey Awards scholarships in painting . 24 March 2014 . 14 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170114083631/http://www.abbey.org.uk/about_the_awards.php . dead .
6. Web site: BSR Fine arts awards . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107165238/http://www.bsr.ac.uk/research/award-holders-current . 2012-11-07 .
7. Web site: BSR Humanities awards . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121107165238/http://www.bsr.ac.uk/research/award-holders-current . 2012-11-07 .
8. Web site: Academy-Sponsored Institutes . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160313045132/http://www.britac.ac.uk/intl/index-basis.cfm . 2016-03-13 .
9. Web site: Financial Support.
10. Web site: History. The British School at Rome. 28 August 2012.
11. Web site: STUART-JONES, Sir Henry. Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007.
12. Web site: ASHBY, Thomas. Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007.
13. Web site: Boardman. John. Ashmole, Bernard (1894–1988). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. 2004.
14. Web site: SMITH, Arthur Hamilton. Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007.
15. Web site: RICHMOND, Sir Ian. Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007.
16. Web site: HARDIE, Colin Graham. Who Was Who. A & C Black. May 2009.
17. Web site: RADFORD, (Courtenay Arthur) Ralegh. Who Was Who. A & C Black. May 2009.
18. Web site: WARD-PERKINS, John Bryan. Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007.
19. Web site: WHITEHOUSE, Dr David Bryn. Who's Who 2012. A & C Black. 2012.
20. Web site: BULLOUGH, Prof. Donald Auberon. Who Was Who. A & C Black. December 2007.
21. Web site: BARKER, Prof. Graeme William Walter. Who's Who 2012. A & C Black. 2012.
22. Web site: HODGES, Prof. Richard Andrew. Who's Who 2012. A & C Black. 2012.
23. Web site: Prof Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, OBE, FSA . People of Today . Debrett's . 28 August 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130620065254/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/w/5473/Andrew%2BFrederic.aspx . 20 June 2013 .
24. Web site: Staff and Fellows. The British School at Rome. 28 August 2012.
25. Web site: British Academy welcomes new Director of the British School at Rome. British Academy. 15 July 2017. 10 July 2017.
26. Web site: Announcement to BSR staff and BSR Faculties – Appointment of Professor Chris Wickham as BSR Director. bsr.ac.uk. en. 5 November 2020. 19 November 2020.