James Fox

James Fox (born February 1982) is a British art historian and broadcaster. Fox specialises in 20th-century art and is Director of Studies in History of Art at Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

Fox is best known for presenting documentaries on the history of art for BBC Four. He is a frequent media commentator on 20th-century and contemporary art.

Education and career Fox received a first class degree in History of Art from Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He then undertook an MPhil on British modernism, before spending a year as a Herchel Smith scholar at Harvard University.

Returning to the University of Cambridge in 2006, Fox embarked on a PhD on history of art entitled Business Unusual: Art in Britain During the First World War, 1914–18, funded by the AHRC.

In 2009 he was appointed as a research fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge. In 2010, he spent Michaelmas term as a visiting scholar to Yale Center for British Art at Yale University.

In 2014 Fox was chosen as one of Apollo Magazines "40 Under 40" – the "most talented and inspirational young people who are driving forward the art world today".

In 2015, Fox's academic monograph about the art of the First World War was published. Fox was also commissioned by Allen Lane to write two major non-fiction books, the first of which will be a cultural history of colour entitled: The Meaning of Colour. A three-part series entitled British Masters was broadcast on BBC Four in July 2011. The series adopted a highly provocative approach: The Times called the series "superb television... passionate, accessible and authoritative"; and The Observer called him "absurdly lucid", and the Financial Times called it "excellent and engaging".

In April 2012, Fox's 2011 series British Masters

In August 2012, BBC Four broadcast his new series, A History of Art in Three Colours,

In 2013, the Royal Television Society nominated Fox for its best presenter of the year award.

In 2014, Fox presented a three-part programme titled A Very British Renaissance

In August and September 2014, Fox presented a three-part series for BBC 4 called Bright Lights Brilliant Minds: a Tale of Three Cities, Each 90 second episode focuses on one colour and follows a fact-filled narrative. The first episode is "Blue" and was released on 18 December 2016.

BBC Four Three part series. October 2021

The World According To Colour: A Cultural History (2021) Craftland (2025) ISBN 9781847927866