Duncan Robinson (art historian)

David Duncan Robinson, CBE, DL, FSA (born 27 June 1943) is a British art historian and academic. He was the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, 2002–2012. He was also the chairman of the Henry Moore Foundation and, until 2007, the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Duncan Robinson CBE DL FSA
Robinson in 2010
Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge
In office 2002–2012
Preceded by	Sir John Gurdon
Succeeded by	Rowan Williams
Director of Fitzwilliam Museum
In office 1995–2007
Preceded by	Simon Swynfen Jervis
Succeeded by	Timothy Potts
Personal details
Born	David Duncan Robinson 27 June 1943
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Anne ​ (m. 1967)​
Children	Three

Early life and education

Robinson was born on 27 June 1943.[1][2] He was educated at The King's School, Macclesfield, Clare College, Cambridge and Yale University.[3]

Academic career

Robinson is a leading authority on British art from the eighteenth century onwards. he began his career as an assistant keeper in the Department of Paintings and Drawings at Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, between 1970and 1976. In 1976, he was appointed Keeper of Paintings and Drawings. From 1975 to 1981, he was additionally a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge and a college lecturer.[4]

From 1981 to 1995, Robinson was Director of the Yale Center for British Art and an adjunct professor of art history at Yale University. During this time, he was additionally Chief Executive of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in London.[5]

He joined the Fitzwilliam Museum as its director in 1995 upon returning to the United Kingdom from Yale. He resumed teaching at Cambridge and was elected into a professorial fellowship at Clare College. He is a trustee of the Royal Collection.

In 2002, Robinson was appointed Master of Magdalene College following the retirement of Sir John Gurdon. In 2005 he was appointed as a deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Unusually for a head of house, he remained the director of studies for both of 'his' colleges: Magdalene and Clare. He served as master until the end of 2012; on 1 January 2013, Rowan Williams took up the role. He has been made an honorary fellow of Magdalene upon the end of his term as master.

Robinson retired as director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in 2007 in order to devote more time to Magdalene College, his research and his teaching.

Personal life

In 1967, Robinson married Elizabeth Anne Sutton. Together they had three children: one son and two daughters.[4]

Honours

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to the heritage of art.[6] He is also a deputy lieutenant of the County of Cambridgeshire.

Selected works

• Stanley Spencer (Phaidon Press, 1993)
• The Yale Center for British Art: A Tribute to the Genius of Louis Kahn (with David Finn) (Yale University Press, 1997)
• Paul Mellon, A Cambridge Tribute (Fitzwilliam Museum Enterprises, 2007)

References

1. "ROBINSON, (David) Duncan". Who's Who. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
2. "Birthday's today". The Telegraph. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2014. Mr D. D. Robinson, Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, 2002–12, 70
3. "Magdalene College, Cambridge". Retrieved 12 October 2007.
4. "Robinson, (David) Duncan". Who's Who 2019. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
5. "CAm: Duncan Robinson". Cambridge in America. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
6. "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 8.