New director for the Warburg Institute

Charles Hope is to succeed Nicholas Mann (also an old Etonian) as director of the Warburg Institute; Professor Mann leaves this month to direct the School of Advanced Study within London University. Professor Hope, 56, is following in a famous and influential tradition when he takes over the research institute with, at its heart, the legendary library of Aby Warburg brought from Hamburg to London in 1933. His predecessors have been, in order: Fritz Saxl, an historian of religion and art, the Orientalist Henri Frankfort, the philosopher Gertrud Bing, Sir Ernst Gombrich and the historian Joseph Trapp. The core purpose of the Warburg is the study of the survival of the classical tradition beyond Antiquity, although it has broadened it scope considerably since the 30s. Professor Hope’s area of study is the Italian Renaissance, in particular, Titian. His study of the artist was published in 1980 and he has gathered together for publication some 2500 archival documents on the subject. Charles Hope is expected to carry the Warburg forward on traditional lines.