Stephen Coppel

Curator of the Modern Collection

Modern prints and drawings of Western-based cultures (e.g. Europe, North and South America, Australasia) from the late 19thC to the present day

Department: Prints and Drawings

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8410
Email: scoppel @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Stephen Coppel is Curator of modern prints and drawings in the Department of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. He was appointed Assistant Keeper of the print collection in 1992 and became responsible for the modern collection in 2004. He was previously curator of prints and illustrated books at the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 1982 to 1992.

Current British Museum projects

The American Scene: Prints from Hopper to Pollock, exhibition and catalogue with Jerzy Kierkuc-Bielinski, for April 2008

“From the Angry Penguins to Now: Modern Australian Prints and Drawings” (working title), exhibition and catalogue, for October 2010

Previous British Museum projects

“Fred Williams: An Australian Vision”, exhibition and catalogue with Irena Zdanowicz, 2003

“Matisse to Freud: A Critic’s Choice. The Alexander Walker Bequest”, exhibition and brochure, 2004

“Avigdor Arikha From Life: Drawings and Prints 1965-2005”, exhibition and catalogue with Duncan Thomson, 2006

External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies

Member of Art Association of Australia and New Zealand (1988 onwards)

British Art Medal Society (1999 onwards)

Publications

S. Coppel, Avigdor Arikha from Life: Drawings and Prints 1965-2005, with D. Thomson, (London: British Museum Press, 2006)

S. Coppel, Imaging Ulysses: Richard Hamilton’s Illustrations to James Joyce (London: British Council, 2002)

S. Coppel, Picasso and Printmaking in Paris (London, South Bank Centre, National Touring Exhibitions, 1998)

S. Coppel, ‘William Mitchell (1820-1908) and John Malcolm of Poltalloch (1805-93)', chapter 7 and ‘George Salting (1835-1909)', chapter 8 in A.Griffiths (ed.) Landmarks in Print Collecting: Connoisseurs and Donors at the British Museum since 1753 (London: British Museum Press in association with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, 1996), pp.159-210

S. Coppel, Linocuts of the Machine Age: Claude Flight and the Grosvenor School (Aldershot: Scolar Press, in association with the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 1995), reprinted 1997