The Warburg Institute

The Warburg Institute The Warburg Institute is dedicated to the study of global cultural history and the role of images in society.

Study with leading scholars, explore our world-renowned collections, and experience our programme of exhibitions and events. The Warburg Institute is one of the world’s leading centres for studying the interaction of ideas, images and society. It is dedicated to the survival and transmission of culture across time and space, with a special emphasis on the afterlife of antiquity. Its open-stack Library, Photographic Collection and Archive serve as an engine for interdisciplinary research, postgraduate teaching and a prestigious events and publication programme.

Former Frances Yates Fellow Sergei Zotov is a historian of science whose work focuses on Christian iconography and the v...
22/09/2026

Former Frances Yates Fellow Sergei Zotov is a historian of science whose work focuses on Christian iconography and the visual cultures of alchemy and magic. In an exclusive case study blog from his forthcoming book on allegorical iconography in European alchemical manuscripts, he discusses the imagery of 'Le Véritable Dragon Rouge', a grimoire published around 1850 in several European languages. The text provides instructions for summoning the demon Lucifugé Rofocale, who is then bound to serve the magician. It also contains a variety of magical spells, including formulae for invisibility, winning the lottery, and creating the philosophers’ stone.

Learn more ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/blogs/alchemical-tomb-necromantic-ritual-winged-sun-le-veritable-dragon-rouge



Images:
1. Der Güldene Griff/ Das ist: Alle Dinge ohne Irrthum zu erkennen; Valentin Weigel, 1697, Frankfurt; Nds. Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen (DE-7)SUB Göttingen; 8 TH TH I, 708/5 (1).
2. Rosarium philosophorum. Sankt Gallen, Kantonsbibliothek Vadiana, Vadianische Sammlung der Ortsbürgergemeinde, Ms. VadSlg 394A, fol. 69r.

'Elizabeth David and...' is a talks and podcasts series presented in partnership between the Warburg Institute and the L...
17/09/2026

'Elizabeth David and...' is a talks and podcasts series presented in partnership between the Warburg Institute and the London Review of Books. Each conversation pairs leading food and literary writers to explore aspects of Elizabeth David’s life and work and their relevance to the present. The series coincides with the completion of a major digitisation project of the Warburg’s collection of historical cookbooks previously owned by David (available on the Warburg website now).

In the first talk, chef Jeremy Lee and novelist Tessa Hadley discuss the cultural legacy of the legendary food writer.

Details:
Friday 9 October 2026, 7.00pm BST | Reemtsma Auditorium, Warburg Institute

Book now ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events/elizabeth-david-and-postwar-taste-2026


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Depictions of ostriches recur in art and design from antiquity to the early Renaissance. In a new blog, Warburg Visiting...
15/09/2026

Depictions of ostriches recur in art and design from antiquity to the early Renaissance. In a new blog, Warburg Visiting Fellow Dr Kaara L Peterson explores a recent exhibition of Tudor art focused on Elizabeth I's attire, that of her court, and the role of ostriches in art and design of the time.

Read now ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/blogs/brief-sartorial-history-queen-elizabeth-ostriches-exhibition-review-elizabeth-queen-court


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The Harvard University Centre for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence, Italy, and the Warburg Institute School of Ad...
10/09/2026

The Harvard University Centre for Italian Renaissance Studies in Florence, Italy, and the Warburg Institute School of Advanced Study at the University of London offer a joint, residential fellowship for the 2027-2028 academic year.

Fellows will spend the autumn term (September – December 2027) in London and the spring term (January – June 2028) in Florence. The fellowship is designed for early and mid-career scholars in any subject; all things being equal, preference will be given to advanced research projects that address the history of science, knowledge, and/or technology related to early modern Italy, including transnational connections between Italy and other cultures. Scholars can also apply to work on the transmission and circulation of ideas, objects, and people during the Renaissance, into and beyond the Italian peninsula, or on the historiography of the Italian Renaissance, including the rebirth of interest in the Renaissance in later periods. The proposed research project may represent a segment of a larger project.

For more information, visit Villa I Tatti: https://itatti.harvard.edu/programs

Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is 16 November 2026.

Find out more and apply ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/research-fellowships/fellowships/funded-research-fellowships/warburg/tatti-joint-fellowship


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Sir Roy Strong followed his studies at the Warburg Institute with an extraordinary career as an art historian, museum di...
09/09/2026

Sir Roy Strong followed his studies at the Warburg Institute with an extraordinary career as an art historian, museum director and garden designer, including as the youngest-ever Director of both the National Portrait Gallery (1967-73) and the Victoria and Albert Museum (1974-87). Our latest 'Life after the Warburg' explores his life, work and legacy.

Learn more ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/blogs/life-after-warburg-sir-roy-strong


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Conference announcement: “Civilizing” the World: Classicism, Neo-Classical Sculpture, and Plaster Casts in the Service o...
02/09/2026

Conference announcement: “Civilizing” the World: Classicism, Neo-Classical Sculpture, and Plaster Casts in the Service of Imperial Powers and Post-Colonial Elites (1780-1945).

16 October 2026: Online presentations
21 October 2026: Public evening event, Senate House University of London & online
22-23 October 2026: International two-day conference, Warburg Institute & online

Our upcoming “Civilizing” the World' conference (16 - 23 Oct 2026) explores the uses of Greco-Roman and neo-classical sculpture and architecture by European colonial powers to express and consolidate their power, at home and abroad, and the continuation and adaptation of these strategies in elite nation-building in many former colonies, post-independence.

Speakers from across the world will discuss the roles classical and neo-classical art fulfilled globally, addressing the deployment of classical visual culture in the service of self-presentation and as a means to dominate indigenous, subaltern and settler populations.
Taking in the history of five continents, the conference is designed to bring out historical differences as well as continuities, putting existing, geographically focused approaches and global frameworks of postcolonial analysis to the test.

Organized by Dr Eckart Marchand (Warburg Institute), Prof. Katherine Harloe (Institute of Classical Studies, SAS) and Prof. Amy Smith (Dept. of Classics, Reading University).

Generously supported by: (the) Henry Moore Foundation, Institute of Classical Studies, John Coffin Memorial Trust, University of Reading Department of Classics and School of Humanities, Dino and Raffaello Tomasso, UK, Classics Beyond Borders (University of Cambridge), supported by the Leventis Foundation.

Find out more and book now ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/events/civilizing-the-world-2026


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Image: Equestrian Monument of Ferdinand Duke of Orléans (1845), in front of the Djamaa el-Djedid mosque, Algiers. Postcard by Léon & Lévy (LL.), pre-1909. Public Domain.

Dr Jonathan Allen is a London-based artist, writer and Associate Fellow of the Warburg. He plays a prominent role in dev...
01/09/2026

Dr Jonathan Allen is a London-based artist, writer and Associate Fellow of the Warburg. He plays a prominent role in developing the rich Warburgian legacy of research into occultism and esoteric magic. Now, he has been featured in our 'Meet the Warburg' series - find out more about his life, work and research in the practice and meaning of magic and performance.

Learn more now ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/blogs/meet-warburg-dr-jonathan-allen-associate-fellow


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At The Warburg Institute, our Occasional Student Programme offers a unique opportunity to become part of one of the worl...
30/08/2026

At The Warburg Institute, our Occasional Student Programme offers a unique opportunity to become part of one of the world's most distinctive research communities, whether you are an international PhD student seeking a period of focused study or a professional whose work engages with art, culture, images, ideas, and their histories.

As an Occasional Student, you are not simply a visitor. You become part of the Institute's intellectual life, with access to our renowned Library, Photographic Collection, and Archive, alongside the guidance of an academic mentor. You'll be encouraged to take part in our vibrant programme of lectures, seminars, colloquia, and research events, connecting with scholars from across disciplines and around the world.

Whether you are developing a chapter of your PhD, exploring a new research direction, preparing a publication, or seeking an inspiring intellectual environment in the heart of London, the Occasional Student Programme provides the time, resources, and scholarly community to support your work.

📚 What we offer:
• Access to the Warburg Library, Photographic Collection, and Archive
• An academic mentor
• Participation in the Institute's open lectures, seminars, and colloquia
• Flexible stays from a short-term visit up to one year

💡 Who can apply?
• International PhD students enrolled at institutions outside the UK
• Professionals and independent researchers whose work relates to the academic study of culture and art history

🔗For further information including fees. https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/study-us/occasional-students

Applications are now welcomed through the SAS application portal. Deadline for the next cohort is 5pm Friday 2nd October 2026.

Images from our Iconographic Database.

*Call for Papers closing 25 September 2026* The Society for Renaissance Studies' next conference takes place 30 June to ...
27/08/2026

*Call for Papers closing 25 September 2026*

The Society for Renaissance Studies' next conference takes place 30 June to 3 July 2027, here in the Warburg Institute in Bloomsbury. The Call for Papers closes on 25 September 2026.

'The Renaissance beyond Borders' envisions the Renaissance as a dynamic, interconnected process that transcends the chronological and geographical limitations of a fixed European moment. Bringing together scholars from across disciplines, it encourages narratives that trace the movement of ideas, texts, images, everyday artefacts and peoples across regions from the Mediterranean to Asia and the Americas.

For this iteration of the conference, papers are invited on the following core themes: 'The Renaissance Beyond Europe; 'Beyond the Medieval-Renaissance Divide'; 'London as Global City (including Migration and Multilingualism)' and 'Object-Based Research'. Submissions can also be considered under the 'Open' strand, for proposals that are not connected to those aforementioned core theme(s).

Submit your paper now ➡️ https://buff.ly/91FCXvj


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Our current exhibition is The Department of Euterpe (continuing until 3 October), and it showcases an imagined, century-...
26/08/2026

Our current exhibition is The Department of Euterpe (continuing until 3 October), and it showcases an imagined, century-old sound research department here in the Warburg.

Warburg student Harry Henderson has interviewed Time is Away, the artists behind the exhibition, and discussed both their work, and creative non-fiction.

Learn more ➡️ https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/news-events/blogs/hermetic-subculture-interview-time-away-subject-creative-non-fiction


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The Warburg Institute
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