I am a professor of Art History, and Head of the Department of History of Art and Film, at the University of Leicester. My primary research interest is in 16th century Italian Renaissance paintings and drawings. From 1983 to 1986 I was a Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford, and from 1987-1991 of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. From 1991-1997 I worked for Christie, Manson and Woods and I was Editor of Apollo magazine from 1997-2004.

I have authored numerous articles and reviews for publications such as the Burlington Magazine and Apollo, as well as monographs on Correggio and Parmigianino and a book on still-life painting in the Renaissance.

Since 2002, I have been a Member of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art. I am also a Trustee of the National Gallery, London, and serve on the Tate Board of Trustees as the National Gallery Liaison Trustee.