Desmond Philip Shawe-Taylor CVO (born 30 September 1955) was Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures from 2005 to 2020.^[1] He succeeded Christopher Lloyd on Lloyd's retirement.^[2]

Shawe-Taylor is the son of Brian Newton Shawe-Taylor and Jocelyn Cecilia Shawe-Taylor. He was educated at Shrewsbury School, University College, Oxford, and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London.^[3]

Shawe-Taylor was a lecturer in the History of Art Department of the University of Nottingham from 1979 to 1996,^[3] and director of Dulwich Picture Gallery from 1996 to 2005, when he was succeeded by Ian Dejardin.^[2] He has published several books: Genial Company: the theme of genius in eighteenth-century British portraiture, 1987; The Georgians: eighteenth-century portraiture and society, 1990; Dramatic Art: theatrical paintings from the Garrick Club, 1997; Rembrandt to Gainsborough: masterpieces from Dulwich Picture Gallery, 1999; Shakespeare in Art, 2003; Bruegel to Rubens: masters of Flemish painting, 2007; and The Conversation Piece: scenes of fashionable life, 2009.^[3]

He was made redundant in December 2020, following the news that the Royal Collections Trust "expects to lose £64m in income this year because Buckingham Palace and other sites have been shut to visitors."^[1]

Shawe-Taylor was appointed Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order (LVO) in 2011 and Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2021 Birthday Honours.^[4]

In 1987, Shawe-Taylor married Rosemary North.^[3] They have three children: Marianne, Edward and William.