Gordon Harold Brown is best known as an art writer. He holds a Diploma in Fine Arts from the University of Canterbury. He also trained as a librarian, working at the Alexander Turnbull Library, the library at Elam School of Fine Arts, and the Auckland Art Gallery Research Library. He was Curator of Pictures at the Hocken Library in Ōtepoti Dunedin, and director of Waikato Art Museum in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, and the Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui. He turned to freelance writing in 1977. With Hamish Keith, he produced the first book to survey the history of painting in Aotearoa. He is well known for his work on Colin McCahon, including a seminal monograph from 1984, Colin McCahon: Artist. He was awarded an OBE in 1980 and an Honorary Doctorate from Victoria University of Wellington in 2002. A lecture series at that university is named in his honour.