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Dr Christopher Brown

Director, Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology

Dr Christopher Brown has been Director of The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology since 1998. Previously he was Curator of 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings and then Chief Curator of the National Gallery, London, where he worked from 1971 to 1998. He was author of numerous articles, books and exhibition catalogues on Dutch and Flemish paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly the work of Rubens, Van Dyck and Rembrandt.

Founded in 1683, The Ashmolean is the oldest museum in Britain and the greatest university museum in the world. It holds the richest collections of art and archaeology in any museum in England outside London. The museum is currently undergoing a £61 million development which involves the demolition of a large part of the museum and its replacement by a new building (attached to the original 1845 museum) of 10,000 square metres which will provide 35 new permanent exhibition galleries, large temporary exhibition galleries, conservation studios, an education centre and other facilities. The architect is Rick Mather and the two principal funders are the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Linbury Trust.

Christopher Brown joined the National Museum Directors' Conference in December 2007.