Dillian Rosalind Gordon OBE is a British art historian who worked as a curator at the National Gallery, London from 1978 to 2010, latterly as Curator of Italian Paintings before 1460. She lives in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. She was appointed OBE in 2011 for services to Early Italian Painting. She has authored and co-authored many books, including several National Gallery catalogues.

Education

Dillian Gordon studied Modern and Medieval Languages at

Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college statu ...

. She then attended the

Courtauld Institute of Art The Courtauld Institute of Art (), commonly referred to as The Courtauld, is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art and conservation. It is among the most prestigious specialist coll ...

, University of London, where she completed her MA in 1972, with a dissertation on 'The gilded glass Madonna in the Fitzwilliam, Cambridge', followed by a PhD in 1979, 'Art in

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

c.1250-c.1350', also at the Courtauld. Photographs taken by Gordon while a student are held in the Conway Library at the Courtauld, and are currently (2020) being digitised.

Professional work

Gordon worked at the National Gallery, London, as a curator of early Italian paintings from 1978 until 2010, latterly as Curator of Italian Paintings before 1460.

Nicholas Penny Sir Nicholas Beaver Penny (born 21 December 1949) is a British art historian. From 2008 to 2015 he was director of the National Gallery in London. Early life Penny was educated at Shrewsbury School before he studied English at St Catharine ...

, Director, states that Gordon was the first woman to work as a curator at the National Gallery. He mentions some important acquisitions that she was able to arrange, as well as her valued work on exhibitions, and praises her for her meticulous cataloguing of the collection's Early Italian art. She retired from the National Gallery in 2010, but continues to research and write about 13th and 14th century Italian painting. A highlight of Gordon's curatorial career came in 2000, when she was asked by

Sotheby's Sotheby's () is a British-founded American multinational corporation with headquarters in New York City. It is one of the world's largest brokers of fine and decorative art, jewellery, and collectibles. It has 80 locations in 40 countries, an ...

to assess a painting of a ''Madonna and Child Enthroned with Two Angels'', discovered at Benacre Hall, Suffolk. This prompted a special visit to the Frick Collection in New York, where Gordon and others were able to compare the painting with a similar one acquired by them in 1950, the ''Flagellation'', and the ''Madonna and Child'' was identified as coming from the same six-panel diptych, part of an altarpiece, by the 13th century Florentine artist,

Cimabue Cimabue (; ; – 1302), Translated with an introduction and notes by J.C. and P Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University Press (Oxford World’s Classics), 1991, pp. 7–14. . also known as Cenni di Pepo or Cenni di Pepi, was an Italian painter ...

. The panel, dated circa 1280, was subsequently acquired by the National Gallery. Dr Gordon returned to the Frick in 2006 to give a lecture on the subject, when the ''Madonna and Child'' was shown alongside the ''Flagellation'' in a special exhibition, ''Cimabue and Early Italian Devotional Painting''. Prior to this, in 2003, a further Cimabue panel had been discovered in France, entitled ''The Mocking of Christ'', and Dr Gordon was again asked for her opinion: the panel was dated circa 1280 and considered to be from the same altarpiece as the ''Madonna and Child'' and the ''Flagellation''. In 2006 her opinion was sought on a different artist, when two small paintings were discovered hanging in a modest terraced house in Oxford. They were identified as being by the 15th century Florentine artist

Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...

, and thought to be from a panel of eight saints, originally part of an altarpiece from the monastery of San Marco in Florence, dated circa 1440, commissioned by

Cosimo de' Medici the Elder Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived from his wealth ...

. The two paintings sold at auction for £1.7m in April 2007.

Publications

Books and catalogues

*''100 Great paintings,

Duccio Duccio di Buoninsegna ( , ; – ) was an Italian painter active in Siena, Tuscany, in the late 13th and early 14th century. He was hired throughout his life to complete many important works in government and religious buildings around Italy. Ducc ...

to Picasso: European paintings from the 14th to the 20th Century'', London: National Gallery, 1981. *''Second sight. Rubens: 'The Watering Place',

Gainsborough Gainsborough or Gainsboro may refer to: Places * Gainsborough, Ipswich, Suffolk, England ** Gainsborough Ward, Ipswich * Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, a town in England ** Gainsborough (UK Parliament constituency) * Gainsborough, New South Wales, ...

: 'The Watering Place , National Gallery exhibition catalogue, 18 February-20 April 1981, 1981. *''The National Gallery lends paintings of the warm south by foreign painters in Italy in 17th century: an exhibition organised in conjunction with the Arts Council of Great Britain'', London: National Gallery, 1982. *''Early Italian paintings and works of art, 1300-1480: in aid of the Friends of the

Fitzwilliam Museum The Fitzwilliam Museum is the art and antiquities museum of the University of Cambridge. It is located on Trumpington Street opposite Fitzwilliam Street in central Cambridge. It was founded in 1816 under the will of Richard FitzWilliam, 7th Vis ...

in association with Stair Sainty Matthiesen'', London : Matthiesen Fine Art, 1983. *'' Edgar Degas: Hélène Rouart in her father's study'', London: National Gallery (exhibition booklet), 1984. *''British paintings'', London: National Gallery, 1986. *''The

Wilton Diptych The Wilton Diptych () is a small portable diptych of two hinged panels, painted on both sides, now in the National Gallery, London. It is an extremely rare survival of a late medieval religious panel painting from England. The diptych was pain ...

'', London: National Gallery, 2001. This book was published to accompany an exhibition at the National Gallery, London, taking place from 15 September to 12 December 1993. *''The Italian Paintings, 1400-1460'', London: National Gallery, 2001. *''The fifteenth century Italian paintings. Vol. 1'', London: National Gallery, 2003. *''The Italian Paintings Before 1400'', London: National Gallery, 2011.

Co-authored works

*Dillian Gordon and Anthony Reeve, 'Three Newly-Acquired Panels from the Altarpiece for Santa Croce by

Ugolino di Nerio Ugolino di Nerio (1280? – 1349) was an Italian painter active in his native city of Siena and in Florence between the years 1317 and 1327. He was a follower of Duccio di Buoninsegna, from whose Maestà some of his scenes are clearly derived ...

', ''Technical Bulletin 8'', London: National Gallery, 1984. *Dillian Gordon, David Bomford, Joyce Plesters and Ashok Roy, '

Nardo di Cione Nardo di Cione (died c. 1366) was an Italian painter, sculptor and architect from Florence. He was the brother of the more accomplished Andrea di Cione, called Orcagna, as well as Jacopo di Cione; they were important members of the Painters Guil ...

's ''Altarpiece: Three Saints''', ''Technical Bulletin 9'', London: National Gallery, 1985. *Martin Davies and Dillian Gordon, ''The Early Italian schools: before 1400'', London: National Gallery, 1988. *Anthea Callen, Dillian Gordon and Richard Kendall, ''

Degas Edgar Degas (, ; born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, ; 19 July 183427 September 1917) was a French Impressionist artist famous for his pastel drawings and oil paintings. Degas also produced bronze sculptures, prints and drawings. Degas is espec ...

, images of women'', London: Tate Gallery, 1989. *David Bomford, Jill Dunkerton, Dillian Gordon, Ashok Roy and Jo Kirby, ''Italian painting before 1400'', London: National Gallery, 1989. *Jill Dunkerton, Susan Foster, Dillian Gordon and Nicholas Penny, ''

Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/ Proto-Renaissance period. G ...

to Dürer:

Early Renaissance Painting Early may refer to: History * The beginning or oldest part of a defined historical period, as opposed to middle or late periods, e.g.: ** Early Christianity ** Early modern Europe Places in the United States * Early, Iowa * Early, Texas * E ...

in the National Gallery'', New Haven: Yale University Press, London: National Gallery, 1991. *Dillian Gordon, Lisa Monnas and Caroline Elam, ''The regal image of Richard II and the Wilton Diptych'', London: Harvey Miller, 1997. *Paul Ackroyd, Larry Keith and Dillian Gordon, 'The Restoration of Lorenzo Monaco's ''Coronation of the Virgin'': Retouching and Display', ''Technical Bulletin 21'', London: National Gallery, 2000. *Luke Syson and Dillian Gordon, '' Pisanello: Painter to the Renaissance Court,'' London: National Gallery, 2001. *Ashok Roy and Dillian Gordon, '

Uccello Uccello () is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Antonina Uccello (born 1922), American politician * Julian Uccello (born 1986), Canadian soccer player * Luca Uccello (born 1997), Canadian soccer player *Paolo Uccello ...

's ''

Battle of San Romano The Battle of San Romano was fought on 1 June 1432, in San Romano, some 30 miles outside Florence,Private Life of a Masterpiece, BBC TV between the troops of Florence, commanded by Niccolò da Tolentino, and Siena, under Francesco Piccinino. ...

'', ''Technical Bulletin 22'', London: National Gallery, 2001. *Dillian Gordon and Martin Davies, ''The Italian schools before 1400'', London: National Gallery, 2001. *Dillian Gordon, Martin Wyld and Ashok Roy, '

's Predella for the High Altarpiece of San Domenico, Fiesole', ''Technical Bulletin 23'', London: National Gallery, 2002. *Rachel Billinge and Dillian Gordon, 'The Use of Gilded Tin in

's ''Pentecost''', ''Technical Bulletin 29'', London: National Gallery, 2008. *Britta New, Helen Howard, Rachel Billinge, Hayley Tomlinson, David Peggie and Dillian Gordon, '

Niccolò di Pietro Gerini Niccolò di Pietro Gerini ( 1340 – 1414) was an Italian painter of the late Gothic period, active mainly in his native Florence although he also carried out commissions in Pisa and Prato. He was not an innovative painter but relied on tradi ...

's ''Baptism Altarpiece'': Technique, Conservation and Original Design', ''Technical Bulletin 33'', London: National Gallery, 2012. *Dillian Gordon, Caroline M Barron, Ashok Roy, Rachel Billinge and Martin Wyld, ''The Wilton Diptych'', London: National Gallery, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2015.

Articles

*'A Sienese verre eglomisé and its setting', ''Burlington Magazine,'' ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 123, pp. 148–153, 1981. *'A Perugian provenance for the Franciscan double-sided altar-piece by the Maestro di S. Francesco', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 124, pp. 70–77, 1982. *'The vision of the blessed Clare of Rimini', ''Apollo'', Vol. 124, pp. 150–153, 1986. *'A

dossal A Dossal (or dossel, dorsel, dosel), from French ''dos'' (''back''), is one of a number of terms for something rising from the back of a church altar. In modern usage, it primarily refers to cloth hangings but it can also denote a board, ofte ...

and his workshop: some problems of attribution, provenance and patronage', ''Burlington Magazine'', Vol. 131, 1989. *'

Simone Martini Simone Martini ( – 1344) was an Italian painter born in Siena. He was a major figure in the development of early Italian painting and greatly influenced the development of the International Gothic style. It is thought that Martini was a pupil ...

's altar-piece for S. Agostino, San Gimignano', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 133, p. 771, 1991. *'Perugian fourteenth-century manuscript illumination: Vannes di Baldolo and his associates', ''Apollo'', Vol. 134, pp. 327–332, 1991. *'A New Discovery in the Wilton Diptych', ''Burlington Magazine'', Vol. 134, pp. 662–667, 1992. *'The reconstruction of

Sassetta ''For the village near Livorno, see Sassetta, Tuscany'' Stefano di Giovanni di Consolo, known as il Sassetta (ca.1392–1450 or 1451) was an Tuscan painter of the Renaissance, and a significant figure of the Sienese School.Judy Metro, ''Italia ...

's altar-piece for S. Francesco,

Borgo San Sepolcro Sansepolcro, formerly Borgo Santo Sepolcro, is a town and ''comune'' founded in the 11th century, located in the Italian Province of Arezzo in the eastern part of the region of Tuscany. Situated on the upper reaches of the Tiber river, the town ...

: a postscript', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 135, pp. 620–623, 1993. *'The mass production of Franciscan piety: another look at some Umbrian "verres eglomisés", ''Apollo'', Vol. 140, pp. 33–42, 1994. *'A new document for the high altarpiece for S. Benedetto fuori della Porta Pinti, Florence' (with Anabel Thomas), ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 137, pp. 720–722, 1995. *'The altar-piece by Lorenzo Monaco in the National Gallery, London', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 137, pp. 723–727, 1995. *'The art of devotion', ''Apollo'', Vol. 141, pp. 59–60, 1995. *'Renaissance painting and illumination at the Metropolitan', ''Apollo'', Vol. 140, pp. 50–51, 1995. *'The "missing" predella panel from

Pesellino Francesco Pesellino (probably 1422–July 29, 1457), also known as Francesco di Stefano, was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Florence. His father was the painter Stefano di Francesco (died 1427), and his maternal grandfather was the pain ...

's trinity altar-piece', ''Burlington Magazine'', Vol. 138, pp. 87–88, 1996. *'The so-called

Paciano Paciano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 30 km southwest of Perugia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 974 and an area of 16.8 km².All demographics and oth ...

Master and the Franciscans in

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and pa ...

', ''Apollo'', Vol. 143, pp. 33–39, 1996. *'

Zanobi Strozzi Zanobi di Benedetto di Caroccio degli Strozzi (17 November 1412 – 6 December 1468), normally referred to more simply as Zanobi Strozzi, was an Italian Renaissance painter and manuscript illuminator active in Florence and nearby Fiesole. He was ...

's ''Annunciation'' in the National Gallery', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 140, pp. 517–524, 1998. *'The ''Virgin and Child'' by

at the National Gallery', ''Apollo'', Vol. 157, pp. 32–36, 2003. *'

's adjustment to ''The Temptation of Christ on the mountain'' from his ''Maestà''', ''Burlington Magazine'', Vol. 151, pp. 19–21, 2009. *'

Andrea di Bonaiuto Andrea di Bonaiuto da Firenze or Andrea da Firenze (I) (active 1343 – 1377) was an Italian painter active in Florence. He was probably born in Florence where he was active from 1343.S. Maria Novella: the memory of a church', ''Burlington Magazine'', Vol. 151, pp. 512–518, 2009. *'Two newly identified panels from Mariotto di Nardo's altarpiece for the Da Filicaia chapel in S. Maria degli Angeli, Florence', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 155, pp. 25–28, 2013. *'A possible French source for the left wing of the Wilton diptych', ''Burlington Magazine'', Vol. 157, pp. 821–826, 2015. *'

Bicci di Lorenzo Bicci di Lorenzo (1373–1452) was an Italian painter and sculptor, active in Florence. He was born in Florence in 1373, the son of the painter, Lorenzo di Bicci, whose workshop he joined. He married in 1418, and in 1424 was registered in the G ...

's altarpiece for the Compagni family chapel in S. Trinita, Florence', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 161, pp. 36–43, 2019. *'The Nobili altarpiece from S. Maria degli Angeli, Florence', ''Burlington Magazine'', ed. Benedict Nicolson, Vol. 162, pp. 14–25, 2020.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Dillian Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge Alumni of the Courtauld Institute of Art British art historians Members of the Order of the British Empire People associated with the National Gallery, London Women art historians