This collection of essays explores the process of transnational exchange which was such an important feature of the artistic life of the United Kingdom throughout the twentieth century, starting out from the convergence of British artists and artists from elsewhere, both those who came temporarily and those who settled permanently. From this perspective, and by way of ‘case studies’, the authors present the work of eight Portuguese artists who chose to study in the United Kingdom and, in some cases, made it their home.

‘British Art – Convergence’ is a companion piece to the exhibition of the same name, presented in 2025 at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, featuring a selection of works from the two Portuguese collections in which British art is best represented (the Berardo Collection and the Calouste Gulbenkian Collection), alongside a smaller group of pieces loaned from Portugal and abroad.