Penelope Curtis is stepping down from her role as director of Tate Britain in order to become the first international director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.

Curtis will leave Tate Britain in the summer, before starting her role as the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum’s new director in the autumn. Curtis joined Tate Britain in April 2010 as its first female director, where she oversaw a number of exhibitions, along with the opening of the new Tate Britain in 2013.

Nicholas Serota, director of the Tate, said: “Over the last five years Penelope Curtis has led Tate Britain with a clarity of vision that has resulted in the successful redevelopment of the gallery and a highly acclaimed rehang of the collection.”

He added: “We shall miss Penelope but we are delighted that a distinguished British scholar is the first international director to lead and develop this prestigious museum.”

Penelope Curtis said: “I am delighted to be the first international appointment to director of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. I look forward to working in Portugal and working with a strong institution which is looking for change.”

Curtis’s reign has invoked some degree of criticism. Last year Sunday Times art critic Waldemar Januszczak described her as a “disaster”, following figures released showed visitor numbers to Tate Britain fell by 10 per cent in 2013, down from 1.53 million to 1.38 million - compared with the five million who visited the Tate Modern.

A spokeswoman for the Tate said it would start to look for a new director for Tate Britain immediately.