Anna Jameson Lecture Series

The annual Anna Jameson Lecture, inaugurated in 2021 and supported by The Diane Apostolos-Cappadona Trust, invites a guest speaker to share their research focused on women in the arts, past and present. It forms part of the lively research and events programme associated with the National Gallery’s Women and the Arts Forum. The lecture series is named in recognition of Anna Jameson (née Murphy, 1794–1860), who is often identified as the first English female art historian. A pioneering writer and critic, Jameson made significant contributions to art history, particularly through her studies of Christian iconography and the representation of women in art and literature. While some lectures explore Jameson’s life and work, the series more broadly embraces her spirit of open-minded and far-reaching art historical inquiry.

Further details about past and upcoming lectures can be found below. Free article versions of the previous lectures in the series are also available at the bottom of each past Anna Jameson Lecture page.