| Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Elizabeth McKellar speaks in front of audience

Art History academic presents prestigious annual lecture

28th April 2026

Prof. Elizabeth McKellar presented the annual lecture of The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain, held at The Artworkers’ Guild in London.

View of Castle Howard exterior north front, main house crowned by a dome, with west wing and separate kitchen block, in a grassy landscape.

Celebrating Sir John Vanbrugh: rockstar of the English Baroque?

20th April 2026

OU academic Dr Susie West helps commemorate outstanding architect Sir John Vanbrugh, who died 300 years ago.

OU Art Historians contribute to Tate Britain study morning on ‘Birds in Art’

7th April 2026

Academics from The Open University’s Art History department shared their work at a special study morning held at Tate Britain.

book cover and text "What’s in a photo? Frederick Douglass and Ram Singh II, Maharaj of Jaipur" on an OU-branded template

Frederick Douglass and Ram Singh II, Maharaja of Jaipur: Introductions to the Art-Historical Trickster Hall of Fame

16th March 2026

Renate Dohmen’s chapter ‘What’s in a photo? Frederick Douglass and Ram Singh II, Maharaj of Jaipur. Or: Lateral art history and the post-indian trickster, an experiment in method’ published in The Routledge Companion to Art and Challenges to Empire (2025)

Niello-inlaid engraving of a haloed eagle-headed St. John the Evangelist upon the gold plaque from Brandon, Suffolk, 32720001 (©The Trustees of the British Museum

Interdisciplinary study throws new light on premodern experiences of bodies

12th February 2026

Picturing bodies in medieval and early modern Europe is the latest issue of the Open Arts Journal, showcasing interdisciplinary research.

Scattered of wild flowers in focus through out a wheat field

How the National Trust’s art collections can shape meadow restoration

26th November 2025

Lecturer in History of Art, Samuel Shaw writes for The Conversation on collaborating with the National Trust on the role of art history in floodplain meadow restoration.

A curated trio of abstract framed paintings, each spotlighted to enhance its unique palette—cool blue and green swirls, vibrant red and purple tones, and warm yellow and brown hues

An enticing subversion: ‘decolonising’ art in Malaysia

6th October 2025

Led by Leon Wainwright (Professor of Art History, OU) “Reframe and Resist: Decolonise Here and Now!” is a British Council–supported project featuring an exhibition and events in Malaysia, bringing together artists, activists and scholars to confront colonial legacies and environmental crises through decolonial dialogue.