Tarnya Cooper
Tarnya Cooper received her MA in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1996. Her studies focused on Dutch and Flemish art during that period. She later obtained a DPhil from the University of Sussex in 2002. The title of her thesis was Memento mori portraiture: painting, Protestant culture and the patronage of middle elites in England and Wales, 1540 - 1630. This research examined how portraits reflected death and religious beliefs among the middle class. Cooper taught art history at University College London while working as Assistant Curator of the College Art Collections. These early roles established her expertise in Tudor portraiture before she moved to larger institutions.
Cooper moved to the National Portrait Gallery in 2002 to become the 16th Century Curator. She led the seven-year Making Art in Tudor Britain project. This initiative involved a detailed scientific survey of Tudor paintings held by the gallery. The National Portrait Gallery received a grant from the Getty Foundation to support this work. The funding allowed Cooper to write Citizen Portrait based partly on her doctoral dissertation. In 2010 she was awarded a senior research fellowship by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art. This fellowship enabled her to complete the book. Her tenure included significant administrative responsibilities that shaped modern approaches to historical portraiture.
During her time at UCL, she curated two exhibitions from the college's collections. She co-curated Elizabeth I with David Starkey at the National Maritime Museum in 2003. Cooper also curated Searching for Shakespeare at the National Portrait Gallery in 2006. A later exhibition titled Elizabeth I & her people ran from October 2013 to January 2014. This display featured a miniature portrait of Elizabeth I found during a house clearance in 2012. Cooper described this image as very high quality work by a 16th-century artist. Another show called The Real Tudors opened on the 12th of September 2014 and closed on the 1st of March 2015. These events combined academic rigor with public accessibility to engage wider audiences.
In January 2018 she became the National Trust's Curatorial & Collections Director. In this role she delivers the Trust's curatorial strategy. Her responsibilities include research, engagement, and care for collections and buildings. Cooper previously served as Chief Curator at the NPG before taking this new position. She was elected as a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in June 2011. Her career has spanned over two decades of leadership in British art institutions. Current projects focus on preserving historical assets while making them accessible to the public.
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Common questions
What degree did Tarnya Cooper receive from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1996?
Tarnya Cooper received her MA in art history from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1996. Her studies focused on Dutch and Flemish art during that period.
When was the book Citizen Portrait by Tarnya Cooper published?
The text does not specify a publication year for Citizen Portrait but notes it was written partly based on her doctoral dissertation with funding from the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art in 2010.
Which exhibition did Tarnya Cooper curate at the National Portrait Gallery in 2006?
Cooper curated Searching for Shakespeare at the National Portrait Gallery in 2006. This event combined academic rigor with public accessibility to engage wider audiences.
Who is Tarnya Cooper and what role did she hold at the National Trust starting in January 2018?
Tarnya Cooper became the National Trust's Curatorial & Collections Director in January 2018. In this role she delivers the Trust's curatorial strategy including research, engagement, and care for collections and buildings.
What was the title of Tarnya Cooper's DPhil thesis from the University of Sussex in 2002?
The title of her thesis was Memento mori portraiture: painting, Protestant culture and the patronage of middle elites in England and Wales, 1540 - 1630. This research examined how portraits reflected death and religious beliefs among the middle class.