Dr Peter Higginson

Dr Peter Higginson is an art historian, university lecturer and experienced Travel Editions tour expert who specialises in the art and culture of early modern Europe and the modern period. A freelance lecturer at a number of London institutions, he has also taught university courses abroad in Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona. His wide experience of leading cultural tours has taken him across Europe and further afield, including Cuba.

Caravaggio is one of Peter’s greatest artistic passions and formed the focus of his doctoral research. He has published on the artist’s patronage and on art and society in seventeenth-century Baroque Rome, giving him an especially rich understanding of the people, politics and religious culture behind the period’s most dramatic works. His wider interests encompass Venetian art, Van Gogh, Picasso, the Norman heritage of Sicily and post-war American avant-garde art.

For Travel Editions, Peter leads tours to destinations including Rome, Venice, Florence, Málaga, Paris and Provence. His lectures and gallery visits place individual works within their wider historical and cultural setting, helping guests understand not only how they were made, but also the ambitions, beliefs and personalities that shaped them. Whether tracing Van Gogh’s formative years in London, exploring Picasso’s Andalusian roots or following Caravaggio through Italy, Peter combines detailed scholarship with a lively and accessible approach.

Peter is also Chair of the William Heath Robinson Trust and a great-nephew of the artist and illustrator. His work with the Heath Robinson Museum includes lecturing, curating and helping to interpret and preserve the family collection.

Peter’s enthusiasm, knowledge and commitment have earned him excellent reviews from Travel Editions guests over many years. Warm, generous with his time and skilled at bringing art and architecture to life, he adds insight and enjoyment to every visit.