Meet Robert Wellington: art historian, researcher, author and Australian National University (ANU) professor with a flair for uncovering history's grandest stories—and doing it in style (yes, iconic British designer Vivienne Westwood is his go-to).

As the Director of the Centre for Art History and Art Theory in the School of Art and Design at the Australian National University (ANU), Robert dives into the opulent worlds of the past, exploring Versailles, visual culture and the ways art reflects power and society. Whether he's publishing books or inspiring students, Robert brings a fresh lens to the beauty of historical cultures.

Robert, can we begin with you introducing yourself professionally?

I started my career working in contemporary art. In fact, at one point, I thought I was going to be an artist. But eventually I worked out that I was more interested in works of art and objects made by others. The more I studied, the more I moved into the past and I became a specialist in the art of France in the 17th and 18th centuries. Think Versailles. In fact, my third book about that famous French palace, Versailles Mirrored: The Power of Luxury from Louis XIV to Donald Trump, has just been published (Bloomsbury, 2025).

In simple terms, describe what you do.

As an art historian at ANU, my research and teaching focuses on the analysis of works of art to discover more about human cultures from the past and present. When I say, 'works of art', I mean that in a very broad sense—everything from the paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and buildings like you might expect, but also textiles, interior decoration, furniture, fashion, urban planning, garden design, theatre sets and much more besides. Art historians investigate all aspects of visual and material culture—our special skill is to read signs and symbols in all manner of things as evidence for historical, cultural and philosophical interpretations.

Much of Robert's research focuses on Louis XIV, famously known as the Sun King, the iconic monarch who shaped 17th-century France.

What's a typical day in your life look like?

A typical workday for me starts early. I'm up at 6am. That's the best time for me to think and write. I try to focus on research and writing first up before tackling other tasks related to teaching and admin. What that entails really depends on where I'm up to with a particular project.

Some days, I might be reading through archival sources—letters, manuscripts, and inventories. Other days, I might be working to finish a piece of writing—an article, a book chapter, a catalogue essay or a review. I'm also very interested in digital methods and tools, so I do quite a bit of work in spreadsheets, organising data so that I can do more exciting things with it later.

Afternoons are for meetings. Teaching days are different, of course. If I'm giving lectures or leading seminars and tutorials, they are the priority for the day.

What's something about your work or field that you find fascinating?

Humans are perhaps the only animals to create things with no other purpose than to be visually appealing. It's not that the works of art aren't sometimes functional, it's more that beauty exceeds functionality. I'm endlessly fascinated by the way that humans from all times and cultures have shaped their world to reflect their tastes and to meditate on their beliefs.

The work of art is at once the most useless and yet the most essentially human thing we have.

Who inspires you?

So many people inspire me. I'm lucky to have many mentors in my life. I suppose you might expect me to name a particular artist or art historian. But if we're talking historically, I'm really inspired by people who challenged the norms of society to bring about changes that make for a fairer and more equal world.

Martha P. Johnson, the black trans woman, comes to mind. She purportedly threw the first rock in the Stonewall Riots in New York in 1969 that accelerated the queer liberation movement. Closer to home, the '78ers, who first marched in what became the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978, many of whom were arrested, outed in the papers, with some losing their jobs and facing other terrible consequences, and who gave the people of my generation the hard-won right to live openly and with dignity.

The 78ers are the original group who marched at the first Sydney Mardi Gras, taking place on the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots.

Every artifact made by human hands speaks of our shared humanity

What are some things about you that people might be surprised to learn?

One thing that people might be surprised to learn about me, given that I'm an academic, is that I left school when I was 15 without any qualifications. I was going through a tough time. I was only out of education a short time, though. I went to a sixth form college to study art, and it was there that I first encountered art history as a subject.

I had a really wonderful teacher—Dr Barry Venning—a specialist in the British painter, Joseph Turner (1775 - 1851). Barry was a dynamic teacher. He saw potential in me and I credit him with inspiring me with a lifelong love of art history. You see, there are too many people that inspire me to name them all!

What's one unexpected lesson you've learned throughout your career?

You never really stop learning, and it's a love of learning that draws most of us to academia. But I would say it took me a while to learn to take more risks with my work. Academic rigour is important, but it's rarely that your ability to lock things down in a tight argument follows all the rules that people respond to.

I have found my most speculative and creative ideas are the ones that people pick up on and cite the most. Academic work doesn't have to be dull and turgid; it can be fun, humorous, gritty and raw.

What do you find more rewarding about being a part of an academic research community at ANU?

ANU has a special research culture. I think it's different from many universities in that our community genuinely fosters collaboration across disciplines. What's even better is that this happens at a grassroots level. It's not due to big, university-funded initiatives that we collaborate (although that never hurts); it's more that we have an open-door culture when it comes to our colleagues. In my experience, most people will be willing to meet with you to talk ideas from any part of the university.

What's one thing you always make time for, no matter how busy life gets?

Afternoon tea. Usually at 3pm. This normally consists of tea and a biscuit—it might be a black English Breakfast, Earl Grey or a soy chai, if I'm feeling fancy.

What do you think makes ANU unique?

As an art historian, I'd have to say it's our campus, which is full of wonderful mid-century modern buildings. It's also our proximity to the national cultural institutions—the National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and National Portrait Gallery—not to mention the many galleries, museums, libraries and archives that Canberra has to offer.

Canberra is a special place, full of art and culture. It's a great place to be an art historian.

What's one piece of advice you'd give to future students who are just about to embark on their university journey?

Be yourself. I don't just mean express yourself freely (although we love to see it). I'm also talking about the decisions you make about what and how you study. Choose subjects that you enjoy, and even then, select the essay topics and case studies that fascinate you.

It might seem like there are a lot of rules and protocols to follow with academic work, but what we really want to see is each student's personality coming through—we want to hear your voice, not just a generic argument.

Work hard, take risks, have fun, make friends. University isn't all about getting qualifications that lead to a job. It's also about training for how to live well: learning what interests you, how to think for yourself and how to understand the world from different perspectives.

Original story published on ANU Stories.