John Holmes

Leading authority on the Pre-Raphaelites and science Professor John Holmes explains how the Oxford University Museum of Natural History rose out of a pioneering collaboration between dynamic modern artists and scientists committed to teaching students and the public about the natural world.

The museum building was inspired by John Ruskin, and the architect Benjamin Woodward and Oxford scientists worked with Pre-Raphaelite artists on its design and decoration. Holmes explains how the decorative art was modelled on the Pre-Raphaelite principle of meticulous observation of nature and how individual artists designed details and carved portraits of scientists. He says the whole structure was an experiment in using architecture and art to communicate natural history, modern science, and natural theology.

Holmes is professor of Victorian literature and culture at the University of Birmingham.