John White

Who is John White?

John Edward Clement Twarowski White, CBE, FSA is an English former art historian and was formerly the head of the Department of History of Art at the University College London. In 1992 he was made an Honorary Fellow of UCL. He is also the author of a number of books on Medieval and Renaissance art, as well as on the artist Duccio of Siena.

White went straight from Ampleforth School to the Royal Air Force, where he became a Spitfire flying instructor based in Canada. After the war he came back to the United Kingdom and became a student of Anthony Blunt at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, and who was keeper of the Queen's art collection and subsequently exposed as a Russian spy. White has a number of mentions in Blunt's biography.

White went from the Courtauld Institute of Art to Cambridge and then on to an academic career which included the Art History department at Johns Hopkins University. Alexander White visiting professor University of Chicago, 1958; Pilkington professor of history of art University of Manchester and director of Whitworth Art Gallery 1959-66, Ferens visiting professor of fine art University of Hull 19961-62; Chairman Art Advisory Panel NW Museum and Art Gallery Services 1966-66; professor of history of art and chairman Department of History of Art Johns Hopkins University Baltimore 1977-71;UCL: Durning-Lawrence professor of history of art UCL 1971-90, vi