Richard Stephen Humphreys (2 September 1953 – 26 October 2025) was a British writer, curator, and academic. He served as Curator of Programme Research at Tate Britain and was a founding member and Deputy Chairman of the London Consortium. Humphreys authored several books on art and literary figures, notably a monograph on the modernist painter Wyndham Lewis and a history of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.
Early life and education
Humphreys was born in Cambridge, England. He studied English at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge (1972–1975), later completing a history of the college titled Sidney Sussex College: A History (2009). He pursued further studies in art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art (1975–1981).
Career
From 1981 to 2008 Humphreys worked at Tate Britain, initially as a curator and later as Head of Education and Interpretation (1991–2001). In this role he organized exhibitions and educational programmes, including the 1985 Ezra Pound centenary exhibition Pound's Artists: Ezra Pound and the Visual Arts in London, Paris and Italy, for which he edited a companion volume of essays. He was also instrumental in establishing the London Consortium, an interdisciplinary graduate program linking the University of London colleges with the Tate and other cultural institutions.
Publications
Humphreys’ bibliography includes:
- Wyndham Lewis (London: Tate Publishing, 2004) – a scholarly monograph on the British modernist painter and writer.
- Sidney Sussex College: A History (2009) – a detailed institutional history of his alma mater.
- Editor of the Tate’s British Artists series, contributing to volumes on various 20th‑century artists.
He contributed essays and catalogue entries to numerous exhibition publications and academic journals.
Personal life and death
Humphreys lived in London with his family. He died on 26 October 2025 at the age of 72.
Legacy
Humphreys is remembered for his contributions to British art scholarship, his role in expanding public engagement with contemporary art at the Tate, and his influence on interdisciplinary arts education through the London Consortium.