About the Magazine
What is The Burlington Magazine?
The Burlington Magazine is the world's leading monthly publication devoted to the fine and decorative arts. It publishes concise, well-written articles based on original research, presenting new works, art historical discoveries and fresh interpretations.
The Magazine is both an enduring work of reference and a running commentary on the art world of today – as well as editorials on topical issues, it features authoritative reviews of all important books and major exhibitions, and the monthly Calendar is the best available guide to art events all over the world.
The Magazine's advertising pages present a view of some of the finest works of art on the international market from both galleries and auction houses, together with announcements of museum and dealer exhibitions, art fairs and the latest art books; here too can be found notices of curatorial vacancies, services provided by insurers, conservators, restorers, shippers, financial institutions and luxury goods on offer.
'Among art-historical periodicals The Burlington Magazine is pre-eminent – if not unique – in its combination of depth and range.' — Sir Michael Levey
'The Burlington Magazine has always been – and remains – in a class of its own – the most important and best journal of its kind in the world.' — John Golding
The Magazine's history
Founded in 1903 by a group of art historians and connoisseurs that included Roger Fry, Bernard Berenson and Herbert Horne, The Burlington Magazine has appeared monthly without interruption ever since. Their aim was to cover all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, to combine rigorous scholarship with critical insight, and to treat the art of the present with the same seriousness as the art of the past.
The Magazine's editors have included two of the twentieth century's most important art critics – Roger Fry and Herbert Read – two directors of the National Gallery – Charles Holmes and Neil MacGregor – and the pioneer scholar of the Caravaggesque movement – Benedict Nicolson. Its contributors form a roll call of twentieth-century art historians and critics from Kenneth Clark, John Pope-Hennessy and E.H. Gombrich to Denis Mahon, Francis Haskell, Theodore Reff, John Rewald, Pierre Rosenberg, Douglas Cooper and David Sylvester. Notable figures from the world of the arts and literature have also made contributions over the years – from Henry James, Osbert Sitwell and Walter Sickert to Georg Baselitz, Howard Hodgkin and Bridget Riley.
For twenty years, until July 1986, the Magazine was published by International Thomson, a multinational publishing company. When that arrangement ceased, The Burlington Magazine was established as a non-profit-making company with independent charitable status (Reg. Charity No. 295020) but owned jointly by The Burlington Magazine Foundation, a UK charity (Reg. Charity No. 295019), and The Burlington Magazine Foundation Inc., a not-for-profit corporation incorporated in the State of New York (Employer ID No. 13–3347776).
Centenary
The Burlington Magazine celebrated its centenary in March 2003 with a series of special events and publications. These included a lecture series and display at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the publication of an anthology, a re-design of the Magazine, special Centenary issues and a new Web site. A Centenary appeal was launched to secure the Magazine's long term future and to fund special projects.
The Burlington Magazine published two centenary issues
March 2003 carried articles on the early years of the Magazine: 'A more and more important work'; Roger Fry and The Burlington Magazine by Caroline Elam, and Holmes, Fry, Jaccaci and the 'Art in America' section of The Burlington Magazine, 1905–10 by Flaminia Gennari Santori. Also in this issue: New documentation for the Portinari altar-piece by Margaret L. Koster and A newly discovered volume from the office of Sir John Soane by Bianca de Divitis.
February 2004 included articles by Caroline Elam and Richard Shone on the eminent art historian and past Editor, Benedict Nicolson (1914–78). Also in this issue, Colin Rhodes explores the treatment of non-European 'primitive' art during the early years of The Burlington Magazine.
Both issues are available at the special centenary price – for two issues – of: £20.00 (UK); €30 (Europe); $40.00 (USA/CAN and Rest of World).