Art Market, Provenance and the History of Collecting

Investigating European and global art markets and cultures of collecting, the MA is both academic and vocational. There is a strong focus on developing research skills, including for the practice of Provenance Research, on writing for a variety of audiences, and on the first-hand study of objects and collections within museums. The course is taught in London by specialists from The University of Buckingham and from outside experts, with frequent visits to museums and institutions.

The MA in Art Market, Provenance and History of Collecting investigates these subjects across many centuries, from the evolution of Renaissance studioli and cabinets of curiosities to country house collections and current debates on provenance, restitution and cultural identity, from a global perspective.

The MA is taught at Buckingham’s London campus in Bloomsbury. At the heart of a cosmopolitan city, whose institutions have been shaped by centuries of collecting and dealership, you will have globally renowned museums, galleries, auction houses, archives, and libraries at your fingertips and which we will visit frequently as a class.

You will therefore not only learn from Buckingham’s team of lecturers, but also from representatives of relevant cultural institutions, equipping you to pursue independent, original, and rigorous research in this exciting field. This Programme has long-standing links to the Rothschild Collections at Waddesdon Manor and the British Museum. The Country House Study Week and Study Week to Vienna or Florence make this programme unique and allow for a comparative approach and a truly international experience.

Country House Study Week & Study Week in Vienna or Florence The course will include a Country House Study Week (shared with the MA Decorative Arts and Historic Interiors), as well as a Study Week in Vienna or Florence , where students will have the opportunity to study several key European collections and participate in workshops organised in partnership with relevant institutions.

The course includes frequent study visits to the British Museum, the British Library, the National Gallery, V&A South Kensington, the Wallace Collection, Sir John Soane’s Museum, Waddesdon Manor and many others.