UCL was founded in 1826 as a radically different university, opening up English higher education for the first time to people of all beliefs and social backgrounds. Today, UCL is one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary universities, and a modern, outward-looking institution, committed to engaging with the major issues of our times. In addition to a dedicated art museum, various departments around the university hold their own paintings which record the history of the department and decorate their spaces. These are mostly portraits of notable and well-loved members of staff. Notable paintings include a portrait of Sir William Ramsay, the first of UCL's 21 Nobel Prize-winners, and portraits of other UCL professors by artists such as John Collier, Benedict Rubbra, Brenda Bury and Emma Sargeant.