Elena Greer works as a curatorial assistant at The National Gallery in London. She studied at Oxford and the Courtauld before stints at The Metropolitan Museum in New York and Christie’s in London. Working on all aspects of the exhibition process she can find herself doing anything from escorting paintings to Scandinavian museums in the middle of the night to spending days knee deep in books and research material preparing to write catalogue copy.
What do you do all day?
In the warm-up to exhibition season many days start with a re-hang. This is when we have to replace pictures that are on loan to an exhibition and can sometimes involve re-hanging a whole gallery. Despite having to be super-alert first thing, it is good to be reminded that the pictures are historical objects as well as the subjects of academic scrutiny. Although our technicians do the actual handling, I love the practicality of this task. Some days are spent in the conservation department looking at Gallery paintings using infra-red technology which enables us to see under-drawing beneath the paint surface – it is amazing to see the artistic process revealed. More library-based research can be for a number of purposes: potential exhibition loans, public enquiries, catalogue entries or Gallery talks. More general admin always features and there is often the odd label to write.
What are you doing today?
The morning has been punctuated by meetings. Curatorial meetings are a chance to find out about future plans for the Gallery. I usually find I have something to say as I am fascinated by this behind-the–scenes aspect to the job. This afternoon I have been on call to look at paintings brought in by members of the public. It is a good opportunity to get out of the library and speak to our visitors: a few weeks ago a man came in without a picture but in the end he was more interested in having a chat about the 19th century re-display.
What’s the best thing about your job?
It has to be the fact that I am constantly learning. I love the detective work involved in researching pictures. Travel, in the form of couriering paintings to foreign exhibitions is very exciting. One day on a courier trip I was in the Maritshuis in the Hague at 8am and the Rijksmuseum at 9pm in the middle of a re-hang which is an extremely surreal experience and compensates for 10 hours in a lorry.
And the worst thing?
In a way it’s the pressure I put on myself to take advantage of every day, as I know that this is a temporary contract.
How did you get into it?
I studied Theology as an undergraduate which might be regarded as an odd decision considering that I knew I wanted to work in a Gallery. I saw myself doing research in the religious imagery so I wanted a good grounding. The next step was always going to be an MA in art-history which I studied for at the Courtauld Institute. After working at the British Museum while an undergraduate, and a summer internship at the Met in New York, I was hooked on the idea of a curatorial job. After a brief and insightful stint as an intern at Christie’s I was lucky enough to be offered a six-month contract at the National Gallery covering for a curator with a research grant. It was an incredible lucky break as I am still here, this time on a 22-month contract on the Gallery’s curatorial assistant programme.
Who’s been the biggest influence on you, career-wise?
Perhaps because it was such a formative time for me, it would have to be St John Simpson in the Ancient Near Eastern Department at the British Museum. He took me on as a volunteer one summer five years ago and his enthusiasm for his work and his willingness to share his knowledge made a huge impression on me. I loved the idea that it was possible to make a living out of learning about objects and history and trying to transfer this knowledge in an interesting way.
Was there a particular painting or exhibition that made you decide you wanted to work in museums?
It was undoubtedly my first visit to the Rijksmuseum, aged nine, where I remember staring at Rembrandt’s Staalmeesters for a long time! It sounds far-fetched to say that was when I knew I wanted to work in museums but it was definitely a defining moment… It’s inspiring to see it in the National Gallery’s Dutch Portraits show.
If you could put on one exhibition, with any paintings or artists what would it be and why?
Lots of ideas whir through my head and I wonder if any of these exhibitions will ever materialise. I am currently interested in the vanitas images and the visualisation of the angst about morality and of course, morbidly, death. I prefer small but rewarding exhibitions with a strong theme and so always enjoy a trip to the Courtauld Gallery’s exhibitions.
What do you think makes you good at your job?
I’ve always wanted to work in museums and I want to continue working in museums which is, of course, a major motivation. I used to collect postcards of paintings and now I get to work with a real collection. The novelty hasn’t really worn off. It can be very daunting to work in such a major national collection but that means that there is always a challenge which makes the job interesting and exciting.
What’s been your biggest achievement in your career so far?
I feel quite proud of actually having been offered any job I’ve ever had. More specifically I am very proud of having written part of the new guide, The National Gallery: Dutch Painting which was published to coincide with the new exhibition on Dutch Portraits.
Any advice for anyone hoping to work in museums?
I don’t really feel qualified to give advice having been in the field for just over a year but it is generally accepted that you have to be strategic. There is only one route really: study, working for free or very little and perseverance.
Where would you like to go from here, career-wise?
This is a temporary position so I am always thinking about what I will do next. I would love to do further research, partly to feel more grounded in a particular specialty but partly because I miss having the time to devote fully to one subject. On the other hand, I like the buzz and interaction of working life, so I haven’t decided!
If you could have a complete career change and do something else, what would you go for?
I’d love to have a go at becoming a professional opera singer.
