Professor Jo Applin joined the Ģ����Ƶ Institute in 2016, after eleven years teaching at the University of York. From 2018 to 2021 she was Head of the History of Art Department, and currently serves as Director of the Centre for the Art of the Americas.

Professor Jo Applin said:

“I am deeply honoured to have been elected a Fellow of the British Academy. At a time when the Arts and Humanities are under increasing pressure within UK universities, the British Academy’s role as a champion for our disciplines has never been more important. I look forward to working with fellow Academicians to advocate for the Arts and Humanities and to demonstrate their profound value to society as well as to academic life.”

Professor Susan J. Smith PBA, President of the British Academy, said:

“I am delighted to welcome our newest Fellows to the British Academy. Each has made an outstanding contribution to their field, and together they reflect the remarkable breadth and depth of scholarship across our disciplines.

“At a time when society is grappling with radical uncertainty in the face of technological, economic and environmental change, the humanities and social sciences have never been more important. Insights from economics, geography and political studies help us navigate geopolitical tensions, while literature, history and philosophy – to name a few of the disciplines the Academy represents – fuel our creative industries and help people to better understand themselves and each other.

“Our new fellows join a community of scholars with unparalleled expertise, dedicated to advancing research, fostering collaboration across disciplines and demonstrating the value of the humanities and social sciences. I am proud to give my warmest congratulations to them all on their election today.”

Toor’s work is rooted in a deep engagement with and admiration for the Old Masters, in particular Baroque and 18th century painting, and the Ģ����Ƶ is a museum he particularly admires. His paintings draw on a broad range of historic and contemporary stylistic references, from European art history to the Mughal School, but also contemporary painting, photography, and graphic novels.

Salman Toor: Someone Like You features key loans from major public collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington; The Baltimore Museum of Art; Dallas Museum of Arts; and the Pinault Collection, as well as private collections.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a display in the Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery of Toor’s works on paper, including Fag Puddle in Vitrine (2021), acquired by the Ģ����Ƶ in 2024. The display showcases Toor’s mastery of drawing and the way it informs his practice as a painter.

The exhibition is accompanied by a new catalogue, edited by Dr Elena Crippa, Senior Curator of Contemporary at the Ģ����Ƶ Gallery, with contributions by Richard Meyer, Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor in Art History, Department of Art and Art History, Stanford University, California; and Aziz Sohail, a curator researcher, and Teaching Fellow with the Department of Fine Art, Monash University, Melbourne.

This exhibition at the Ģ����Ƶ Gallery has received Lead Support from the Bukhman Foundation and the Salman Toor Exhibition Circle, with Additional Support from the Ryan Taylor Collection. The exhibition media partner is Another Man and Dazed.

Ģ����Ƶ Members can enjoy the exhibition without the crowds at a preview on Thursday 1 October, 14:00 – 18:00, and also get free unlimited entry to all exhibitions, access to presale tickets, priority booking to selected events, advance notice of art history short courses, exclusive events, discounts and more. Join at courtauld.ac.uk/members

Salman Toor: Someone Like You
2 October 2026 – 10 Jan 2027
Denise Coates Exhibition Galleries, Floor 3
courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/exh-salman-toor-someone-like-you/

Salman Toor: Drawings
2 October 2026 – 10 Jan 2027
Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, Floor 1
courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/exh-salman-toor-drawings/

Coming from an academic background in English Literature and modern art, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from my MA History of Art Special Option Talking Pictures: Images and Ideas in Medieval Art, 1000-1300. Although I was very interested in medieval art and excited by the prospect of studying it, I initially worried that I lacked the historical grounding or familiarity with its visual conventions to fully engage with the material or keep up with my cohort. Luckily, I was wrong, and these concerns quickly disappeared. What the course revealed, above all, was not how much I didn’t know, but how much medieval art invites close, curious, and open-ended looking.

Taught by Dr Teresa Lane, Talking Pictures explores the relationship between text and image in the Middle Ages, asking how visual forms conveyed meaning, narrative, and social and theological ideas. Consisting of a mix of on-site seminars and off-site trips, the course examines the intersection of the visual and the verbal through a vividly diverse range of subjects and media. Beginning with illuminated manuscripts and gradually expanding to encompass sculpture, metalwork, stained glass, and architecture, the course offered a carefully structured introduction to the period. This progression—from the intimacy of manuscript pages to the scale of cathedrals—allowed us to build confidence in recognising motifs, styles, and visual strategies across different media. Moving from historiated initials to grand wall paintings, it was exciting to recognise visual languages across contexts and to realise how much we had absorbed through this progression.

One of the most valuable aspects of the course was its emphasis on close looking. Each week centred on a specific object, manuscript, or site, supported by focused readings and seminar discussions, allowing us to fully grasp the material before applying it ourselves. This framework made what initially seemed like a vast and daunting period feel manageable and coherent. I remember, at the start of the course, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the material; a few months later, I found myself able to look at a stained glass window and identify familiar iconography and motifs. This method also encouraged active engagement, often through presentations, fostering both collaboration and a shared sense of discovery within the group.

Semester One introduced us to late Anglo-Saxon art, particularly through the study of monumental manuscript bibles and richly illustrated texts. Examining works such as gospel books and psalters, we explored the relationship between image and text, not simply as illustration and explanation, but as intertwined systems of meaning. This idea continued to develop as we moved beyond manuscripts to consider architecture and liturgical objects, particularly in the context of Anglo-Norman England. Visiting cathedrals such as Winchester and Canterbury brought these ideas to life, allowing us to see how visual language operated not only on the page but within physical and devotional spaces. Medieval objects can sometimes feel distant when encountered in isolation, removed from their original setting, but visiting these sites contextualised and grounded what we had been studying. The relationship between image, space, and the viewer became much more tangible, and walking in the footsteps of those we had been studying was invaluable!

The second semester shifted focus to the wider European context, exploring art produced in context of the Crusades and broader historical change. Looking at manuscripts such as the Apocalypse, alongside works like the Bayeux Tapestry, we considered how images could shape historical narratives, at times (in certain perspectives) even taking precedence over text. This raised fascinating questions about authority, interpretation, and the power of visual storytelling, and let us apply learnt themes and frameworks onto objects and artwork.

A defining feature of the course was its emphasis on first-hand engagement with objects. Our visits to institutions such as Lambeth Palace Library, the British Library, Temple Church, the Wyvern Collection, and the V&A were invaluable. At Lambeth Palace Library, we examined manuscripts including the MacDurnan Gospels and the Lambeth Apocalypse up close. Seeing these works in person, observing the texture of material, the scale of the pages, and the vibrancy of pigments, transformed our understanding of them. These were not simply images reproduced in books or on our screens, but physical objects designed to be handled, viewed, and experienced in specific ways. Being based in London, we are fortunate to have such institutions on our doorstep, but it was the teaching and contextual knowledge that allowed us to see these objects in a new light, deepening how we interacted with and understood them.

A highlight of the course was the study trip to Paris. Visiting sites such as Notre-Dame, the Musée de Cluny, and the Basilica of Saint-Denis provided an opportunity to engage directly with some of the most significant monuments of medieval art. These visits reinforced the course’s central themes, particularly the interplay between visual form, narrative, and meaning across different contexts and media.

Beyond developing visual and analytical skills, Talking Pictures also encouraged us to think critically about the processes behind the making, preservation, and interpretation of art. Questions of patronage, artistic identity, and the transmission of ideas were woven throughout the course, alongside discussions of historiography and methodology. This combination of close looking and broader critical perspectives helped situate individual objects within larger intellectual, theological, and social frameworks. Over the course of the unit, we learnt how to apply our personal perspective, critical and scholarly debates, historical context and visual analysis to fully grasp these medieval artworks and how they were received!

The unit also fostered a collaborative and supportive learning environment. Our cohort brought a range of academic backgrounds and specific knowledge interests, enriching discussions and creating a space in which ideas could be shared openly. This encouraged collective exploration and mutual support throughout the course, and curated an area of communal engagement and conversation.

Looking back, Talking Pictures fundamentally changed the way I approach not just medieval art, but history and art in general. It has shown me that understanding a period and its produce is not simply about mastering a fixed body of knowledge, but about developing the tools to ask meaningful questions: how images work, how they communicate, and how they were experienced. The unit not only deepened my appreciation of medieval visual culture, but also gave me greater confidence in engaging with complex material across disciplines which I will continue to use even post graduation. Academically and intellectually enriching, it was also an immensely enjoyable experience, and one in which every seminar and trip felt genuinely rewarding to be part of.

After finishing her studies, Hepworth continued to thrive. In 1924, she was the runner-up for the Prix de Rome sculpture scholarship, which was won by her contemporary John Skeaping. Her competition relief earned her a West Riding Travel Scholarship which she used to travel to Italy, visiting Rome, Siena and Florence and developing her skills in stone carving.

Having only just begun my studies at the Ģ����Ƶ Institute, I was surprised and delighted to receive the John Hayes Travel Award: an annual research grant typically given in support of final-year dissertations. Thanks to this award, I had the pleasure of spending my summer in Egypt, where I participated in the Arabic Language Intensive Summer programme (ALIS) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). This programme placed me in close proximity to numerous monuments and museums that showcased the richness of ancient Egyptian visual culture, an area of study that has long fascinated me.

I was keen to use this opportunity to investigate Egypt’s relationship with its cultural heritage. Prior to my degree, I was a member of Antiquities department at Christie’s, where I was introduced to the legal and ethical concerns surrounding the trade of ancient art. Since then, I have developed a broader interest in cultural heritage policy, protection, repatriation, and curation. Egypt presents a particularly compelling case study due to the perennial popularity of Egyptian antiquities, fuelled by the global fascination with “ancient Egypt.” Despite its economic, political, and cultural prominence within the Arab world, the 2011 revolution saw devastating losses to Egypt’s cultural heritage due to looting. As such, Egypt has remained at the forefront of global conversations concerning repatriation and cultural heritage protection.

The ALIS programme included cultural excursions, the first of which took us to the Giza Necropolis, fulfilling my childhood dream of witnessing the Sphinx and the Pyramids. However, the experience was somewhat sullied by the persistence of scammers and souvenir sellers, who simultaneously rely on, yet disregard the historical significance of the site. Even the tour guide hired by AUC occasionally presented incorrect or dramatised information as fact. It became clear that “the Pyramids”, and by association the mythological idea of “ancient Egypt”, form the foundation of the country’s national identity in the context of tourism.

This tension followed me to the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM). The institute is undeniably impressive; it is vast, polished, and thoughtfully curated around a chronological narrative of Egyptian history. However, the large wing of the building dedicated to luxury cafés and retail spaces recalled the popular “mall culture” I encountered in Cairo, reserved primarily for upper class Egyptians. This atmosphere of exclusivity is heightened by the museum’s inaccessibility except by car, although locals are charged a cheaper entry fee. Furthermore, the museum’s extravagant opening ceremony was designed to attract international attention, exposing GEM’s critical role in projecting a renewed, state-constructed national image.

The historic Egyptian Museum offered a contrasting experience. Despite many objects being transferred to GEM, the remaining collection is still expansive, with artefacts densely arranged throughout the galleries. The museum appeared neglected; displays were dusty and outdated, and reliefs were left propped against walls and sculptures rested indiscriminately on the floor. Shortly after I left Egypt, news broke that a gold bracelet had been stolen from the museum’s restoration laboratory. The lack of curation and security seemed at odds with the Egyptian government’s hefty investment in GEM. Again, this illustrated how on a state level, national image is prioritised over the effective management and accessibility of cultural heritage.

My time in Egypt fundamentally shaped the way I think about the display, preservation, and interpretation of cultural heritage. At times, I was challenged or surprised by my experiences, yet I was consistently impressed by the quality and significance of the artefacts themselves. Returning to the Ģ����Ƶ Institute in September, I was excited to encounter many of these questions again in our Exhibiting Art module, which examines histories of collecting and curating, and how these influence the interpretation of art and cultures. I look forward to continuing to explore these issues in my dissertation.