With no works by O’Keeffe in UK public collections, opportunities to see her paintings in this country are rare. The exhibition at 91Ӱ�� Gallery will feature major loans from US institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe; Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, as well as an outstanding group of works from the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a display in the��Gilbert��and��Ildiko��Butler Drawings Gallery,��Georgia O’Keeffe: ‘Life’ at Ghost Ranch,��which will present��around 20 photographs of O’Keeffe at her New Mexico home, drawn from photoshoots commissioned by��Life Magazine��from the famed photographers Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) and John Loengard (1934-2020) in 1948 and 1966, respectively. Featuring previously unpublished photographs and rare colour images, the display will give visitors an added sense of the extraordinary, vast landscapes around Ghost Ranch and of O’Keeffe’s life there, while offering insights into how her image was presented and marketed.

This exhibition is supported by The Huo Family Foundation.��

Tickets go on sale in 2027.����to hear our latest announcements and more.��

Courtauld Members��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��

I was born in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in India in a town called Udhampur, 65 kms away from the closest museum in Jammu, The Hari Palace. The palace, the residence of the erstwhile royal family of J&K, sits at the mountain top overlooking the Tawi river, where it greets the distant vehicles crossing the bridge, witnessing all that has passed in front of its eyes over the last hundred years. In addition to the Hari Palace, an endless list of Mughal monuments in Kashmir and later, New Delhi also brewed in me a fascination for the history and art of empires.

These formative experiences of beauty and curiosity were the key factors that led me to pivot from a career in law to one in History of Art, anchored at 91Ӱ�� Institute and led by leading scholars of Trans-Asiatic art history.�� A few weeks into the MA, my supervisor and guide, Professor Sussan Babaie imparted a key lesson–that art history, as opposed to a romantic quest of beauty, is a scientific inquiry of objects that factually determine our shared histories. That the knowledge and challenge lies in one’s ability to look. To observe.

With that preface, I spent the next incredible nine months within a small cohort of friends, studying the early-modern empires, where borders were ambiguous and cultures were the determinants of convergence and divergence. Sometimes, the seminars would take us on an imaginary stroll through Naqsh-e-Jahan square in Isfahan and other times object-based research found me uncovering the mysteries of culturally hybrid objects, such as a jade jar with Mughal design and Mandarin inscriptions. Even though some journeys we imagined, others we partook in, first to Lisbon, to experience Eurasian cultural exchange and later to the University of Edinburgh, to study the 14th century manuscript�� Jami’ al-Tawarikh, an early example of Persian art of the books.

Before the end of the MA, Professor Babaie took our Special Option to visit the royal residence at the Windsor Castle. There, we experienced the Padshahnama, the illustrated biography of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and one of the most significant art objects in the world. Looking at the Padshahnama inspired the idea behind my MA dissertation, on which I was awarded a High Distinction. More viscerally, it was an indescribable sensory experience, with the object’s arresting beauty and historical significance.

After the MA, I relocated to Saudi Arabia, working as an Archivist of 19th and 20th century Islamic and Middle Eastern objects in the Kingdom’s prestigious Art of Heritage collection. Over the course of a year, I archived and researched over 10,000 objects that reinforced my ability to look and observe, much like I was taught to do at 91Ӱ�� Institute–where I returned last fall (2025) after being awarded the AHRC funded Tate-Courtauld Collaborative Doctoral Partnership, mentored by Dr Tom Young (Courtauld Institute) and Dr Alice Insley (Tate).

The focuses on portraiture produced during and in connections to the British Empire in India and takes on the 18th and 19th centuries of Indo-British history and visual production. A year into it, I have found the PhD to be a mediation between learning and unlearning– my supervisors have helped me expand the scale of my research capabilities, shifting the axis to include British portraiture and art theory, and to recognise my own positionality as an Indian historian within British networks of knowledge production.

As I move forward in my doctoral and curatorial work, I am particularly looking forward to beginning teaching at 91Ӱ�� Institute, where I hope to share, challenge, and expand the ways in which we engage with objects and histories. The journey that began with curiosity now continues with responsibility: to look closely, and to help others do the same.

Professor Jo Applin joined 91Ӱ�� 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 91Ӱ�� 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 91Ӱ�� 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 91Ӱ�� 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 91Ӱ�� 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.

Courtauld 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.