A graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (B.A.,1959); the Courtauld Institute, London University (B.A. Hons 1963) and Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., USA (Ph.D., 1971),  Frances Suzman Jowell's main areas of research have been the life and writings of the political journalist, art critic and art historian, Théophile Thoré ('W.Burger' 1807-1869) and the work of Théodore Géricault.

Her publications encompass the history of collecting and the art market, historiography and the posthumous critical fortunes (and misfortunes) of artists.  She has a particular interest in nineteenth-century revivals of earlier artists (eg. Hals and Vermeer) and has lectured and published in the UK and abroad on these subjects.