{{short description|British art historian and museum curator (born 1963)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Use British English|date=May 2014}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Alexander Sturgis | honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|11|6|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[London]], England, [[United Kingdom]] | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | death_cause = | other_names = Xa Sturgis<br> The Great Xa | alma_mater = [[University College, Oxford]] <br> [[Courtauld Institute of Art]] | occupation = Curator <br> Museum director | employer = [[National Gallery]] <br> [[Holburne Museum]] <br> [[Ashmolean Museum]] | title = Director of the [[Ashmolean Museum]] | term = | predecessor = [[Christopher Brown (museum director)|Christopher Brown]] }}
'''Alexander John Sturgis''' {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 6 November 1963) is a British [[art historian]] and [[museum curator]]. He is currently [[Museum director|Director]] of the [[Ashmolean Museum]] in [[Oxford]] and was [[Museum director|Director]] of the [[Holburne Museum]] in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] from 2005 to 2014.
==Early life== Sturgis was born on 6 November 1963 in [[London]], England.<ref name="WW 2017">'STURGIS, Dr Alexander John', [[Who's Who 2017]], A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online end, [[Oxford University Press]], 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U272547 accessed 16 May 2017]</ref> He was educated at [[Marlborough College]], a [[Private schools in the United Kingdom|private school]] in [[Marlborough, Wiltshire]].<ref name="WW 2017" /> He studied history at [[University College, Oxford|University College]], [[University of Oxford]] from 1982 to 1985. He graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] (BA) degree, which was later promoted to a [[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin)]] (MA Oxon) degree.<ref name="Oxford - New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed">{{cite web|title=New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed |url=https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2014-01-23-new-director-ashmolean-museum-appointed |publisher=[[University of Oxford]] |accessdate=18 July 2020 |date=23 January 2014 }}</ref> He undertook [[post-graduate]] study in [[art history]] at the [[Courtauld Institute of Art]] in London.<ref name="Bath - Director of Holburne Museum to talk about its recent redevelopment" /> and completed his [[Doctor of Philosophy]] (PhD) degree in 1990.<ref name="Oxford - New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed" />
==Career== Sturgis worked at the [[National Gallery]], London, from 1991 to 2005.<ref name="Bath - Director of Holburne Museum to talk about its recent redevelopment">{{cite web| title=Director of Holburne Museum to talk about its recent redevelopment|url=http://www.bath.ac.uk/news/2011/05/17/holburne/|work=University news| publisher=[[University of Bath]] |accessdate=10 March 2014|date=17 May 2011}}</ref> Beginning in the education department,<ref name="Oxford - New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed" /> he later served as exhibitions and programmes curator from 1999 to 2005.<ref name="Oxford Mail - New director set to take over at Ashmolean Museum">{{cite news| title=New director set to take over at Ashmolean Museum|url=http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/10960309.New_director_set_to_take_over_at_Ashmolean_Museum/|accessdate=10 March 2014| newspaper=[[Oxford Mail]] |date=24 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="Ashmolean - new director">{{cite web| title=New Director of Ashmolean Museum appointed|url=http://www.ashmolean.org/news/?id=235|work=News and events| publisher=[[Ashmolean Museum]] |accessdate=10 March 2014}}</ref> In 2005, he was appointed [[Museum director|Director]] of the [[Holburne Museum]] in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]].<ref name="Bath Chronicle - Bath's Holburne Museum director is leaving for new role">{{cite news| title=Bath's Holburne Museum director is leaving for new role at the Ashmolean in Oxford|url=http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bath-s-Holburne-Museum-director-leaving-new-role/story-20488480-detail/story.html|accessdate=10 March 2014| newspaper=[[The Bath Chronicle]] |date=23 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310144525/http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/Bath-s-Holburne-Museum-director-leaving-new-role/story-20488480-detail/story.html|archive-date=10 March 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> During his time at Holburne, he oversaw a renovation of the museum that included a £13 million extension.<ref name="Western Daily Press - New role for Holburne Museum director at the Ashmolean">{{cite news| title=New role for Holburne Museum director at the Ashmolean|url=http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/New-role-Holburne-Museum-director-Ashmolean/story-20492663-detail/story.html|accessdate=10 March 2014| newspaper=[[Western Daily Press]] |date=24 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310141253/http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/New-role-Holburne-Museum-director-Ashmolean/story-20492663-detail/story.html|archive-date=10 March 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
From the 2014/2015 academic year he was appointed [[Museum director|Director]] of the [[University of Oxford]]'s [[Ashmolean Museum]] on 1 October 2014.<ref name="Oxford Mail - New director set to take over at Ashmolean Museum" /><ref>{{cite web| title=Courtauld alumnus appointed as Director of Ashmolean Museum|url=http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/news/DrSturgis.shtml|work=News|publisher=[[The Courtauld Institute]] |accessdate=10 March 2014}}</ref> He is also a [[Supernumerary Fellow]] of [[Worcester College, Oxford]].<ref>{{cite web| title=Dr Alexander Sturgis MA, PhD|url=http://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/about/fellows/alexander-sturgis | publisher=[[Worcester College, Oxford]] |accessdate=25 August 2015}}</ref>
His publications include ''Rebels and Martyrs: The Image of the Artist in the Nineteenth Century'' (2006) and ''Presence: Sculpture and the Portrait'' (2012).
==Personal life== In his spare time, Sturgis is a [[magic (illusion)|magician]] under the name '''The Great Xa''' and appeared on 1990s British TV programme [[The Word (TV series)|The Word]] appearing to swallow sharp razor blades.<ref>{{cite news|last=Moore|first=Charles| title=The Spectator's Notes: George Osborne's personal recovery|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/columnists/the-spectators-notes/9122571/the-spectators-notes-371/|accessdate=10 March 2014|newspaper=[[The Spectator]] |date=25 January 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=The Great Xa's Holburne illusion|url=http://www.bdonline.co.uk/the-great-xa%E2%80%99s-holburne-illusion/5018546.article|publisher=BD online|accessdate=10 March 2014|date=20 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=The life of a modern magician: Razor blades, ballet shoes and bumping into the Obamas|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/gentleman/life-of-a-modern-magician-171452|accessdate=23 August 2022|newspaper=[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]] |date=20 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|title=The Great Xar - Swallowing Razor Blades THEWORD |type=Video |language=English |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c89A6iQPoVg|access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref>
==Selected works== *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |title=Magic in art: tricks, perspective, illusions |date=1994 |publisher=Belitha Press |location=London |isbn=978-1855613577}} *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |title=Faces |date=1998 |publisher=National Gallery Publications |location=London |isbn=978-1857092226}} *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |title=Telling time |date=2000 |publisher=National Gallery Company |location=London |isbn=978-1857099058}} *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |last2=Child |first2=Lauren |title=Dan's angel: a detective's guide to the language of painting |date=2003 |publisher=Frances Lincoln |location=London |isbn=978-0711218857}} *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |last2=Christiansen |first2=Rupert |authorlink2=Rupert Christiansen |last3=Oliver |first3=Lois |last4=Wilson |first4=Michael |title=Rebels and martyrs: the image of the artist in the nineteenth century |date=2006 |publisher=National Gallery Company |location=London |isbn=978-1857093469}} *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |title=Faces |date=2009 |publisher=National Gallery Company |location=London |isbn=978-1857094640 |edition=2nd}} *{{cite book | last1=Sturgis |first1=Alexander |title=Presence: the art of portrait sculpture |date=2012 |publisher=Antique Collectors Club |location=Suffolk |isbn=978-1851496853}} *{{cite book |last1=Vestey |first1=Joanna | last2=Sturgis | first2=Alexander |last3=Roberts |first3=Russell |title=Custodians |date=2015 |publisher=Ashmolean Museum Publications |location=Oxford |isbn=978-1854442970}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-culture}} {{s-bef|before= [[Christopher Brown (museum director)|Christopher Brown]]}} {{s-ttl|title=Director of the [[Ashmolean Museum]] | years=2014–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{Ashmolean Museum keepers and directors}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgis, Alexander}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1963 births]] [[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:People educated at Marlborough College]] [[Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford]] [[Category:Alumni of the Courtauld Institute of Art]] [[Category:British art historians]] [[Category:British magicians]] [[Category:British art curators]] [[Category:English curators]] [[Category:Fellows of Worcester College, Oxford]] [[Category:People associated with the National Gallery, London]] [[Category:Keepers and directors of the Ashmolean Museum]] [[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]