Dora Thornton

Curator, Renaissance Collections and the Waddesdon Bequest

Renaissance European culture

Department: Prehistory and Europe

Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8665
Email: dthornton @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk

Dora Thornton is curator of the Waddesdon Bequest and curator of Renaissance European collections, with specialist interest in Renaissance Italy (see publications and projects). The collections range widely and include some of the world’s finest collections of Spanish lustred ceramics (Hispano-Moresque), Italian maiolica, slipware and Medici porcelain, Venetian glass, French painted enamels,  and Italian plaquettes. She writes, lectures and answers enquiries in these areas.

The collection also includes important Tudor material and English early modern silver. The Waddesdon Bequest (displayed in Gallery 45)  is an outstanding cabinet collection or Kunstkammer on the European courtly model. Dora also reports on Treasure cases from 1500-1660.

Current British Museum projects

Italian Renaissance Ceramics; A Catalogue of the British Museum’s Collection
(With Timothy Wilson of the Ashmolean Museum), to be published late 2007.

Previous British Museum projects

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External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries

Publications

Most recent publications

D. Thornton, “A plaquette by Leone Leoni acquired by the British Museum”, The Burlington Magazine, December 2006, CXLVIII, pp. 828-32

D. Thornton, 'The Use of Dürer Prints as Sources for Italian Renaissance Maiolica' , in G. Bartrum (ed.), Albrecht Dürer and his Legacy, (British Museum Occasional Paper 130, 2004)

D. Thornton, “Le mie cose: Fra Sabba da Castiglione e i suoi oggetti”, in AR Gentilini, (ed.) Sabba da Castiglione 1480-1554. Dalle corti rinascimentali alla Commenda di Faenza, atti del convegno , Faenza 19-20 maggio 2000, (Florence 2004), pp.307-22

D. Thornton, “A bella donna from the Pasolini collection in the British Museum”, Faenza, LXXXIX, (2003), pp.135-50

D. Thornton, seven entries for Giulia Bartrum, (ed.), Albrecht Dürer and his legacy, (The British Museum, London 2002), p.246, cat.199, p.248, cat.202, p.254, cats.208-209, p.256, cat.210, p.262, cat.216 (exhibition catalogue)