Burlington Contemporary is the Burlington Magazine’s free online platform for reviews and research on international contemporary art.
Find out more about the Burlington below, including where to buy a copy and how to submit an article. Click through for catalogue design and production and for information on advertising.
The Burlington Magazine is the world’s leading monthly publication devoted to art of all ages and media. It publishes concise, well-written and richly illustrated articles presenting significantly art-historical discoveries and fresh interpretations.
A not-for-profit enterprise, our primary purpose is to support and promote new research, produced by both established and emerging scholars.
For more than 120 years, the Burlington has shaped the understanding of art and its histories. Its archive provides an unrivalled resource that charts how the discipline has evolved.
Today this is complemented by a range of initiatives, all of which are intended to inspire the study and enjoyment of art, including collaborations with major collections, writing prizes, lectures and scholarships.
There are many ways in which you can connect with and benefit from the Burlington’s work and the research it promotes: through subscriptions, signing up for our newsletters, becoming a supporter, or engaging with the extensive online life of the Magazine.
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 our online Calendar is the best available guide to art events throughout the world.
‘Whether it’s the discovery of works of art, new archival information, informed reviews or sharp editorials, every issue of The Burlington Magazine constitutes essential reading. The Burlington Magazine is simply the finest art history periodical there is.’
- Gabriele Finaldi, Director at the National Gallery, London
‘Essential reading for anyone seriously interested in new thinking in art history by both emerging and mature scholars’
– Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair of Arts Council England
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. The founders’ 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.
The Burlington has published work by a roll-call of twentieth- and twenty-first-century art historians and critics. Notable writers and artists have also made contributions over the years – from Henry James, Osbert Sitwell and Walter Sickert, to Georg Baselitz, Howard Hodgkin and Bridget Riley.
The Burlington’s monthly Editorials provide a running commentary on matters of significance in the art world; sometimes celebratory, sometimes critical and always with an independent voice, they draw attention to scholarly, political, museum and market-related issues.
Editorials are available to read on the free content section of our website.
From Fra Angelico to Artemisia Gentileschi, from Van Gogh to Vermeer, The Burlington Magazine has always been an important platform for the publication of new discoveries in art history, making it an essential tool for scholars, curators and dealers.
The Burlington Magazine’s philosophy is that writing and research should start with engaged interaction with the art itself, that good writing in clear English should be encouraged and that authors should have a specialised interest in or knowledge of the art they are discussing, be they artists, academics or writers from other disciplines.
Edited to the highest academic standards, article submissions are double-blind peer reviewed: this means that the article is judged on its own merits, and a reviewer can trust that any feedback will be shared anonymously.
Articles are comprehensively illustrated and the printed magazine is produced and designed to a high standard. Our website hosts the more than 40,000 articles published since our foundation in 1903. These are extensively indexed and form an invaluable resource.
Articles in The Burlington Magazine chiefly consist of previously unpublished original research on art of all periods and places. Initial proposals are sent to the Editor with a brief synopsis of the proposed article: submissions in the main European languages are accepted.
The Magazine’s preferred length for articles is around 3,000 words. The submission of ‘Shorter notices’ of up to 1,500 words is encouraged.
The costs of all illustrations, including copyright, is covered by the Magazine.
Guidance on how to submit an article and notes on house style are available here.
The Burlington Magazine publishes authoritative, wide-ranging reviews of books, exhibitions around the world and major museum openings. Article reviews survey the current state of scholarship on particular artists, themes and media.
These contributions not only offer in-depth analysis of current events and up-to-date scholarship but also provide a lasting scholarly record of their achievements.
In particular, reviews cover exhibitions that represent the culmination of years of research, highlight previously overlooked artists and major loans that throw fresh light on a medium, theme or body of work.
Each month, we publish a review free to read on the free content section of our website.
Each year we publish a number of themed issues, bringing together new research on specific regions, movements and media. Opposite is a selection of recent examples.
Other themed issues have included: Architecture, Collectors & Collecting, Drawings, Art of the First World War, Russian Art, Spanish Art, Conservation and Westminster Abbey.
In recent years we have published books under the imprint Burlington Press. The titles that have appeared to date share the ethos of the Magazine and are authoritative, rigorous and provide inspiration for future research. Burlington Press books are distributed worldwide by Yale University Press.
In 2018 we launched Burlington Contemporary, an online platform for writing and research on international contemporary art. The site, which is free to access, publishes weekly reviews and articles. Twice a year an open-access peer-reviewed Burlington Contemporary online journal presents cutting-edge research on art made after 1960. All contributions are written and edited to the highest academic standards.
The Burlington Magazine Scholarship for the study of French eighteenth-century fine and decorative art
The scholarship offers £12,000 to an applicant based anywhere in the world who has embarked on or is about to start an MA or PhD, or is undertaking research in a post-doctoral or independent capacity. The successful candidate is chosen by a selection panel chaired by Christoph Vogtherr, General Director of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg and former Director of the Wallace Collection, London. The scholarship is funded by Richard Mansell-Jones.
The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize
The annual Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize seeks to discover talented writers on contemporary art. The winner of the prize receives £1,000, their review is published on Burlington Contemporary and they have the opportunity to publish a review of a future contemporary art exhibition in The Burlington Magazine. The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize is funded by the Thistle Trust.
The Burlington Magazine Prize for Southern Netherlandish Art 1400–1800
In 2024 The Burlington Magazine announced a new annual prize of £1,000 for innovative research on Southern Netherlandish art from 1400 to 1800. The prize, which is awarded in partnership with the University of Cambridge, includes publication in the Magazine’s annual issue on Northern European Art, as well as a subscription to The Burlington Magazine. Early-career scholars are invited to submit previously unpublished essays of 1000–1500 words.
The Burlington Magazine Publications Limited is a non-profit-making company with independent charitable status (Reg. Charity No. 295020) owned by The Burlington Magazine Foundation, a UK Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Reg. Charity No. 1187286).
The Burlington Magazine occupies a Grade II listed building constructed in the 1820s and located in central London on a purpose-build Regency shopping street. For commercial or broadcast filming and photography enquiries, please get in touch at burlington@burlington.org.
