Professor Clare Willsdon

  • Professor of the History of Western Art (History of Art)

telephone: 01413306331
email: Clare.Willsdon@glasgow.ac.uk

R307 Level 3, History of Art, 8 University Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QH

ORCID iDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9021-6291

Research interests

  • European painting 1800-1940, with special interest in art, gardens and the natural environment; Impressionism in Europe and North America; and mural painting;
  • Post-Impressionism, Symbolism, the Fin-de-siècle, and Vienna Secession;
  • contextual and thematic methodologies.

Key publications include the first survey and critical interpretation of 19th/20th-century mural painting in any country (Mural Painting in Britain 1840-1940, awarded the Historians of British Art prize, 2003), and In the Gardens of Impressionism (nominated for the National Library of Scotland/Saltire Society ‘Research Book 2005’, and ‘Sir Banister Fletcher Best Book in the Arts 2005-6’ awards). Exhibition work includes Academic Adviser for Impressionist Gardens (National Gallery of Scotland and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, 2010-11) and Country Gardens (Broadway Arts Festival, 2012), and a Curatorial Consultancy for Painting the Modern Garden (Cleveland Museum of Art and Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2015-16). Other exhibitions to which I have contributed include Gartenlust (Belvedere, Vienna, 2007), Renoir (Complesso del Vittoriano, Rome, 2008), Monet (ARoS Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, 2015-16), Whistler and Nature (travelling, Hunterian 2018-19), and Bright Edge Deep (https://www.brightedgedeep.arts.gla.ac.uk, part of the COP26 Virtual Peatlands Pavilion, 2021). I was a member of the international seminar panel established 2008 by the House of Lords Works of Art Committee in connection with the first mural commission for the Houses of Parliament since 1925, and have advised numerous other organisations, including Historic England, Survey of London, Kunsthaus Zürich, Shizuoka Prefectural Museum Japan, etc.

I won the University of Glasgow ‘Engaged Researcher of the Year’ Award, 2016, and was shortlisted for the University’s ‘Best Collaboration (Arts & Culture)’ Knowledge Exchange and Public Engagement Award, 2020.

I have given many public lectures (National Gallery, London; Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid; Petit Palais, Paris, etc) and have contributed to BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Deutsche Welle and STV programmes on the arts, as well as the ‘Exhibition on Screen’ films ‘Painting the Modern Garden’, 2016 and ‘Van Gogh’s Sunflowers’, 2021. Recent talks include those for ‘Whistler, Nature and Science’ (Cambridge, 2019: https://www.gla.ac.uk/hunterian/collections/research/whistlernatureandscience/ ) and the Dear Green Bothy COP 26 programme (University of Glasgow, 2021: https://deargreenbothy.gla.ac.uk/event/greening-glasgow/).

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2016 | 2015 | 2013 | 2012 | 2010 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
Number of items: 38.

2021

Whitehouse, N.J. , Willsdon, C. and Beale, G. (2021) ‘Bright edge deep’: peatlands in history, culture and climate; an online experience. British Archaeology, 2021(Nov/De),

Willsdon, C. and de Montfort, P. (2021) Whistler Nature and Science. [Website]

Braithwaite, N., Willsdon, C. A.P. , Millar, G. and Waterhouse, R. (Eds.) (2021) Murals and Mosaics: George Mayer-Marton. Series: Baquis little books. Baquis Press: Manchester. ISBN 9780955602566

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2021) Church of the Holy Rosary, Fitton Hill, Oldham. In: Braithwaite, N., Willsdon, C. A.P., Millar, G. and Waterhouse, R. (eds.) George Mayer-Marton: Murals and Mosaics. Series: Baquis little books. Baquis Press: Manchester, pp. 12-17. ISBN 9780955602559 (In Press)

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2021) St Clare’s, Blackley, Manchester. In: Braithwaite, N., Willsdon, C. A.P., Millar, G. and Waterhouse, R. (eds.) George Mayer-Marton: Murals and Mosaics. Series: Baquis little books. Baquis Press: Manchester, pp. 25-30. ISBN 9780955602559 (In Press)

Whitehouse, N. , Willsdon, C. , Beale, G. , Gardner, T., Davies, A., Gearey, B. and Everett, R. (2021) Bright Edge Deep: peatlands in history, cultural heritage, and climate. [Exhibitions]

Willsdon, C. (2021) Foxglove and Bog Violet: Arran Up Close in a Sketchbook of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Arran Artists Symposium, 29 April 2021.

Willsdon, C. (2021) George Mayer Marton: Murals for Oldham and Blackley. George Mayer-Marton Murals and Mosaics', Insiders-Outsiders Festival, 22 March 2021.

Willsdon, C. (2021) Greening Glasgow in the 19th and early 20th centuries: art, health and horticulture in the public park. [Exhibitions]

Willsdon, C. (2021) Roses, leeks and water lilies: impressionist painters in the garden. Transactions of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, 115, pp. 32-35.

Willsdon, C. (2021) Taming nature, creating the garden, c. 1899–1915. In: Amundsen, H. and Thomson, R. (eds.) Monet: the Wild and the Tamed. MUNCH. (Accepted for Publication)

2019

Willsdon, C. (2019) Les décors muraux en Grande-Bretagne. In: Andrieux, J.-Y., Chevallier, F. and Nevanlinna, A. K. (eds.) Idée nationale et architecture en Europe: volume 2, Fin XVIIIe-XXIe siècle. Series: Art and société. Presses universitaires de Rennes: Rennes, pp. 277-296. ISBN 9782753578302

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2019) "The lady of the garden, lawn and blackbird": Beatrix Whistler and horticulture. Women's History, 2(13), pp. 15-22.

2018

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2018) Review of "James McNeill Whistler and France: A Dialogue in Paint, Poetry, and Music" by Suzanne Singletary. caa.reviews, 2018(Nov 19), (doi: 10.3202/caa.reviews.2018.230)[Book Review]

de Montfort, P. and Willsdon, C. (2018) Whistler and Nature. Paul Holberton: London. ISBN 9781911300496

Willsdon, C. (2018) Nature on the margins: parks, gardens, and coasts in Whistler’s work of the 1880s and 90s. In: de Montfort, P. and Willsdon, C. (eds.) Whistler and Nature. Paul Holberton: London, pp. 77-111. ISBN 9781911300496

2016

Willsdon, C. (2016) Painting and photography. In: Payne, C. (ed.) In Focus: Pegwell Bay, Kent – a Recollection of October 5th 1858 ?1858–60 by William Dyce. Tate Research Publication. ISBN 9781849765428

2015

Willsdon, C. (2015) Late impressionism. In: Greub, S. (ed.) Monet: Lost in Translation. Hirmer: München, pp. 198-227. ISBN 9783777424286

[Curatorial Consultant] Willsdon, C. (2015) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. [Exhibitions]

Willsdon, C. (2015) Impressionist gardens. In: Don, M. and Dumas, A. (eds.) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Royal Academy of Arts: London, pp. 76-85. ISBN 9781910350027

Willsdon, C. (2015) Making the modern garden. In: Don, M. and Dumas, A. (eds.) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Royal Academy of Arts: London, pp. 28-47. ISBN 9781910350027

Willsdon, C. and Beamer, R. (2015) Chronology. In: Don, M. and Dumas, A. (eds.) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Royal Academy of Arts: London, pp. 304-311. ISBN 9781910350027

2013

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2013) From Lochnagar to Leith: in Scotland with Haag, Fréchou, Signorini and Orlik, 1850–1900. Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, 18, pp. 57-64.

Ingram, D., Bisgrove, R. and Willsdon, C. (2013) The call of the wild: wild flowers in gardens and art: the Broadway connection. Ruskin Review and Bulletin, 9(1), pp. 42-51.

2012

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2012) Country Gardens: John Singer Sargent RA, Alfred Parsons RA and their Contemporaries. Broadway Arts Festival Trust: Broadway, UK. ISBN 9780957272507

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2012) Impressionist interiors. French Studies, 66(3), pp. 409-410. (doi: 10.1093/fs/kns147)[Book Review]

2010

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2010) Impressionist Gardens. National Galleries of Scotland: Edinburgh, UK. ISBN 9781906270285

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2010) Jardines Impresionistas. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: Madrid, Spain. ISBN 9788496233997

2008

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2008) Petali, profumi e brezze: i giardini di Renoir. In: Adler, K. (ed.) Renoir: La Maturità tra Classico e Moderno. Skira: Milano, Italy, pp. 107-119. ISBN 9788861306172

2007

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2007) Impressionistische Gartenmalerei und Weg in Monet's Garten. In: Husslein-Arco, A. (ed.) Gartenlust : der Garten in der Kunst; [Ausstellung Gartenlust. Der Garten in der Kunst, Belvedere Wien, 22. März bis 24. Juni 2007]. Christian Branstatter Verlag: Vienna, pp. 130-141. ISBN 9783850330527

2006

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2006) Image and Identity in Mural Painting in British Public Buildings, 1840-1940. In: Gowing, R. and Pender, R. (eds.) All Manner of Murals: the history, techniques and conservation of secular wall paintings: proceedings of the secular wall paintings symposia. Archetype Publications: London, pp. 89-101. ISBN 978 1 904982 11 1

2005

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2005) Aspects of Klimt's Landscapes and the Emblem Tradition. In: Harper, A.J., Hopel, I. and Sirc, S. (eds.) Emblematic Tendencies in the Art and Literature of the Twentieth Century. Series: Glasgow Emblem Studies, Vol. 10. Glasgow Emblem Studies, University of Glasgow: Glasgow, pp. 24-45. ISBN 0852618212

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2005) Les Jardins des Impressionistes. La Bibliothèque des Arts: Lausanne, Switzerland. ISBN 9782884531245

2004

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) In den Gärten der Impressionisten. Belser Verlag: Stuttgart, Germany. ISBN 9783763024322

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) In the Gardens of Impressionism. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-51147-0

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) In the Gardens of Impressionism. Vendome Press: New York, USA. ISBN 9780865652323

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) The Ramsay Garden Murals and their Links with French Mural Painting. Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, 9, pp. 69-78.

2003

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2003) Promenades et Plantations: Impressionism, Conservation and Haussmann's reinvention of Paris. In: Fowle, F. and Thomson, R. (eds.) Soil and Stone: Impressionism, Urbanism, Environment. Ashgate Press: Aldershot, pp. 107-124. ISBN 0-7546 3685 2

This list was generated on Fri Jul 1 05:42:00 2022 BST.
Jump to: Articles | Books | Book Sections | Book Reviews | Edited Books | Conference or Workshop Item | Exhibitions | Website
Number of items: 38.

Articles

Whitehouse, N.J. , Willsdon, C. and Beale, G. (2021) ‘Bright edge deep’: peatlands in history, culture and climate; an online experience. British Archaeology, 2021(Nov/De),

Willsdon, C. (2021) Roses, leeks and water lilies: impressionist painters in the garden. Transactions of the Leicester Literary and Philosophical Society, 115, pp. 32-35.

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2019) "The lady of the garden, lawn and blackbird": Beatrix Whistler and horticulture. Women's History, 2(13), pp. 15-22.

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2013) From Lochnagar to Leith: in Scotland with Haag, Fréchou, Signorini and Orlik, 1850–1900. Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, 18, pp. 57-64.

Ingram, D., Bisgrove, R. and Willsdon, C. (2013) The call of the wild: wild flowers in gardens and art: the Broadway connection. Ruskin Review and Bulletin, 9(1), pp. 42-51.

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) The Ramsay Garden Murals and their Links with French Mural Painting. Journal of the Scottish Society for Art History, 9, pp. 69-78.

Books

de Montfort, P. and Willsdon, C. (2018) Whistler and Nature. Paul Holberton: London. ISBN 9781911300496

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2012) Country Gardens: John Singer Sargent RA, Alfred Parsons RA and their Contemporaries. Broadway Arts Festival Trust: Broadway, UK. ISBN 9780957272507

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2010) Impressionist Gardens. National Galleries of Scotland: Edinburgh, UK. ISBN 9781906270285

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2010) Jardines Impresionistas. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza: Madrid, Spain. ISBN 9788496233997

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2005) Les Jardins des Impressionistes. La Bibliothèque des Arts: Lausanne, Switzerland. ISBN 9782884531245

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) In den Gärten der Impressionisten. Belser Verlag: Stuttgart, Germany. ISBN 9783763024322

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) In the Gardens of Impressionism. Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-51147-0

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2004) In the Gardens of Impressionism. Vendome Press: New York, USA. ISBN 9780865652323

Book Sections

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2021) Church of the Holy Rosary, Fitton Hill, Oldham. In: Braithwaite, N., Willsdon, C. A.P., Millar, G. and Waterhouse, R. (eds.) George Mayer-Marton: Murals and Mosaics. Series: Baquis little books. Baquis Press: Manchester, pp. 12-17. ISBN 9780955602559 (In Press)

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2021) St Clare’s, Blackley, Manchester. In: Braithwaite, N., Willsdon, C. A.P., Millar, G. and Waterhouse, R. (eds.) George Mayer-Marton: Murals and Mosaics. Series: Baquis little books. Baquis Press: Manchester, pp. 25-30. ISBN 9780955602559 (In Press)

Willsdon, C. (2021) Taming nature, creating the garden, c. 1899–1915. In: Amundsen, H. and Thomson, R. (eds.) Monet: the Wild and the Tamed. MUNCH. (Accepted for Publication)

Willsdon, C. (2019) Les décors muraux en Grande-Bretagne. In: Andrieux, J.-Y., Chevallier, F. and Nevanlinna, A. K. (eds.) Idée nationale et architecture en Europe: volume 2, Fin XVIIIe-XXIe siècle. Series: Art and société. Presses universitaires de Rennes: Rennes, pp. 277-296. ISBN 9782753578302

Willsdon, C. (2018) Nature on the margins: parks, gardens, and coasts in Whistler’s work of the 1880s and 90s. In: de Montfort, P. and Willsdon, C. (eds.) Whistler and Nature. Paul Holberton: London, pp. 77-111. ISBN 9781911300496

Willsdon, C. (2016) Painting and photography. In: Payne, C. (ed.) In Focus: Pegwell Bay, Kent – a Recollection of October 5th 1858 ?1858–60 by William Dyce. Tate Research Publication. ISBN 9781849765428

Willsdon, C. (2015) Late impressionism. In: Greub, S. (ed.) Monet: Lost in Translation. Hirmer: München, pp. 198-227. ISBN 9783777424286

Willsdon, C. (2015) Impressionist gardens. In: Don, M. and Dumas, A. (eds.) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Royal Academy of Arts: London, pp. 76-85. ISBN 9781910350027

Willsdon, C. (2015) Making the modern garden. In: Don, M. and Dumas, A. (eds.) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Royal Academy of Arts: London, pp. 28-47. ISBN 9781910350027

Willsdon, C. and Beamer, R. (2015) Chronology. In: Don, M. and Dumas, A. (eds.) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. Royal Academy of Arts: London, pp. 304-311. ISBN 9781910350027

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2008) Petali, profumi e brezze: i giardini di Renoir. In: Adler, K. (ed.) Renoir: La Maturità tra Classico e Moderno. Skira: Milano, Italy, pp. 107-119. ISBN 9788861306172

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2007) Impressionistische Gartenmalerei und Weg in Monet's Garten. In: Husslein-Arco, A. (ed.) Gartenlust : der Garten in der Kunst; [Ausstellung Gartenlust. Der Garten in der Kunst, Belvedere Wien, 22. März bis 24. Juni 2007]. Christian Branstatter Verlag: Vienna, pp. 130-141. ISBN 9783850330527

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2006) Image and Identity in Mural Painting in British Public Buildings, 1840-1940. In: Gowing, R. and Pender, R. (eds.) All Manner of Murals: the history, techniques and conservation of secular wall paintings: proceedings of the secular wall paintings symposia. Archetype Publications: London, pp. 89-101. ISBN 978 1 904982 11 1

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2005) Aspects of Klimt's Landscapes and the Emblem Tradition. In: Harper, A.J., Hopel, I. and Sirc, S. (eds.) Emblematic Tendencies in the Art and Literature of the Twentieth Century. Series: Glasgow Emblem Studies, Vol. 10. Glasgow Emblem Studies, University of Glasgow: Glasgow, pp. 24-45. ISBN 0852618212

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2003) Promenades et Plantations: Impressionism, Conservation and Haussmann's reinvention of Paris. In: Fowle, F. and Thomson, R. (eds.) Soil and Stone: Impressionism, Urbanism, Environment. Ashgate Press: Aldershot, pp. 107-124. ISBN 0-7546 3685 2

Book Reviews

Willsdon, C. A.P. (2018) Review of "James McNeill Whistler and France: A Dialogue in Paint, Poetry, and Music" by Suzanne Singletary. caa.reviews, 2018(Nov 19), (doi: 10.3202/caa.reviews.2018.230)[Book Review]

Willsdon, C.A.P. (2012) Impressionist interiors. French Studies, 66(3), pp. 409-410. (doi: 10.1093/fs/kns147)[Book Review]

Edited Books

Braithwaite, N., Willsdon, C. A.P. , Millar, G. and Waterhouse, R. (Eds.) (2021) Murals and Mosaics: George Mayer-Marton. Series: Baquis little books. Baquis Press: Manchester. ISBN 9780955602566

Conference or Workshop Item

Willsdon, C. (2021) Foxglove and Bog Violet: Arran Up Close in a Sketchbook of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Arran Artists Symposium, 29 April 2021.

Willsdon, C. (2021) George Mayer Marton: Murals for Oldham and Blackley. George Mayer-Marton Murals and Mosaics', Insiders-Outsiders Festival, 22 March 2021.

Exhibitions

Whitehouse, N. , Willsdon, C. , Beale, G. , Gardner, T., Davies, A., Gearey, B. and Everett, R. (2021) Bright Edge Deep: peatlands in history, cultural heritage, and climate. [Exhibitions]

Willsdon, C. (2021) Greening Glasgow in the 19th and early 20th centuries: art, health and horticulture in the public park. [Exhibitions]

[Curatorial Consultant] Willsdon, C. (2015) Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse. [Exhibitions]

Website

Willsdon, C. and de Montfort, P. (2021) Whistler Nature and Science. [Website]

This list was generated on Fri Jul 1 05:42:00 2022 BST.

Grants

Recent grants include: Woburn Abbey Consultancy, 2017-18; two University of Glasgow KE Fund awards (2018-19); two University of Glasgow ‘Dear Green Bothy’ public engagement awards (2021).

Supervision

I welcome applications from students interested in postgraduate research in areas relating to my research foci. Current PhD students I jointly supervise are:

  • Astrom, Kristina
    Liminal Play: Inter-art relations between Stéphane Mallarmé and James McNeill Whistler
  • Bailey, Lucy
    Walter Fawkes 1769-1825: A Patron of the Arts
  • Macleod, Jenny
    Scottish Printmakers During the Etching Revival
  • McAuley, Rosemary Therese
    Portraying His Faith: The Christian Art of William Hole(1846-1917)R.E., R.S.A. -Artistic and Theological Perspectives
  • Visser, Tess
    An examination and comparison of the materials and techniques used by the Glasgow Boys and Matthijs Maris in late nineteenth-century Britain.

Teaching

I teach the following specialist option courses (not necessarily all offered each year):

  • 'Impressionism: Innovation and Invention, 1874-1926' (MLitt)
  • 'Early Impressionism, 1850-1876' (Senior Honours)
  • 'Symbolism and Secession' (Junior Honours)

I also normally supervise MLitt and Honours dissertations in areas relevant to my research interests, and contribute to the following team-taught core courses:

  • 'Research Methods and Skills’ (MLitt)
  • 'Methodology of Art History' (Junior Honours)
  • ‘Portfolio’ (Junior Honours’)
  • ‘Patrons, Collectors, Museums and Markets’ (Level 2A)
  • ‘Imagination, Traditions and Invention’ (Level 2B)
  • ‘Art History and its Materials and Techniques’ (Level 1A)
  • ‘Art History in Action’ (Level 1B).

Additional information

AFFILIATIONS:

  • Member of the Association for Art History Higher Education Committee;
  • Elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Higher Education Academy and Royal Society of Arts;
  • Honorary Curator, Glasgow Life.

ADMINISTRATION:

  • University of Glasgow representative on Glasgow School of Art Annual Programme Monitoring Board, and Glasgow University/Glasgow School of Art Joint Liaison Committee.

I am on research leave until May 2022 but from August 2022 will be History of Art Head of Subject at the University of Glasgow.