Acquistions

Pasmore print image, 1948

Victor Pasmore

Victor Pasmore (1908-1998) - 'Abstract (London Group Poster)'.

The Fine Art Department’s first ‘official’ contact with Pasmore was the purchase of this, for the period, dramatically abstract work, which was in fact Pasmore’s design for the background of the poster for the 1948 London Group exhibition (the poster version had text over-printed).

NEWHG : SP.0055. Lithograph, purchased from Redfern Gallery December 1948.

No Featured Acquisitions

There are no featured Acquisitions available in 1949. However, please see the 1951 archive to explore further Acquisitions.

No Featured Acquisitions

There are no featured Acquisitions available in 1950. However, please see the 1951 archive to explore further Acquisitions.

Letter from Lord Eustace Percy, 1951

Lawrence Gowing

Lawrence Gowing, early in his tenure as head of the Fine Art Department, wrote to Lord Eustace Percy, then Rector of Kings College, outlining his ambition to develop a teaching collection, he received this cautious reply.

Soldiers in a Rocky Gorge, 1640

Salvator Rosa

Salvator Rosa (1625-1675) - 'Soldiers in a Rocky Gorge', c.1640.

NEWHG : OP.0050. Oil on canvas, purchased from Roderic Thesiger, 1952.

Letter to Roderic Thesiger, 1952

Lawrence Gowing

This painting along with the Sabatini and Palma il Giovane, as Gowing’s letter suggests, marks the start of his desire to develop a teaching collection for the Department, from which the students could get some real benefit. He used his many contacts in the London art world to source affordable, but good quality paintings. Gowing’s early acquisitions used funds from the Shipley Bequest – originally intended to provide equipment and material to the Department.

Pieta, 1550

Lorenzo Sabatini

Lorenzo Sabatini (c.1520-1576) – ‘Pieta’, c.1550.

NEWHG : OP.0041. Oil on panel, purchased from Roderic Thesiger, 1952.

This is a copy of an earlier painting attributed to Marcello Venusti in The Vatican collection.

St Mark, 1600

Jacopo Palma il Giovane

Jacopo Palma il Giovane (c.1548-1628) – ‘St Mark’, c.1600.

NEWHG : OP.0021. Oil on canvas purchased from Thomas Agnew and Sons, 1952.

Letter from Colin Agnew, 1952

Lawrence Gowing

Colin Agnew’s letter to Gowing explains something of the provenance and the whereabouts of related paintings. The ‘St John’ he mentions belonging to Peter Lycett Green is now in the collection of York Museums Trust.

Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Statuette, 1575

Bartolomeo Passarotti

Bartolomeo Passarotti (1529-1592) - 'Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Statuette', c.1575.

NEWHG : OP.0046. Oil on canvas, purchased from P&D Colnaghi, 1952.

1960s record sheet for ‘Portrait of a Young Man Holding a Statuette’

Ralph Holland

This typical 1960s record sheet is a mine of information and shows that, as with many old master paintings in the Collection, the attribution has changed over time. It was Ralph Holland who identified the statuette being held as being very similar to one in the Edinburgh University collection.

Letter from Gowing to Benedict Nicholson, 1954

Lawrence Gowing

In May the following year, having had the painting cleaned, Gowing offers Nicolson the painting back, thinking it an eccentric choice for the collection and historically unrepresentative of anything in particular, thankfully nothing came of this and painting remains in the Permanent Collection.

The Flight from Troy, 1700

Jean Francois Millet

Jean Francois Millet (1666-1729) - 'The Flight from Troy', c.1700.

NEWHG : OP.0020. Oil on canvas purchased from Roderic Thesiger, 1953.

Letter to Roderic Thesiger, 1953

Lawrence Gowing

Thesiger was a Director at the long established gallery P&D Colnaghi, however he also operated independently and Gowing would often act on his suggested acquisitions and deal directly with him. This letter demonstrates the relatively informal method by which Gowing dealt with acquisitions, there certainly wasn’t any committee, or other internal University approval process.

St. Francis and St. John the Baptist & St. Bartholomew and St. John the Evangelist, 1360

Giovanni del Biondo

After Giovanni del Biondo (d.1399) 'St. Francis and St. John the Baptist’ and 'St. Bartholomew and St. John the Evangelist’, c.1360.

NEWHG : OP.0044 & OP.0045. Tempera on panel, purchased from the Ashburnham Estate sale at Sotheby’s, 1953.

Sotheby’s sale catalogue, 1953

Giovanni del Biondo

Page from the Ashburnham Collections Sotheby’s sale catalogue, showing the original attribution to Bernardo Daddi, this however was soon dismissed.

Letter from Sotheby’s, 1953

Lawrence Gowing

The letter to Gowing from Carmen Gronau at Sotheby’s reveals that Gowing had £850 to spend at the sale and had identified the altarpiece and a pair of Gaspard Dughets (confusingly often called Poussin) to spend it on.

A letter from Professor Richard Offner, 1963

Ralph Holland

Letter from Professor Richard Offner to Ralph Holland in 1963 with his suggested attribution, which we currently retain. Offner’s research on Florentine art culminated in the vast print project ‘Critical and Historical Corpus of Florentine Painting’, a many volume description of Florentine renaissance artists, methods, and workshop production.

View of Tivoli with the Temple of the Sibyl, 1645

Gaspard Dughet

Gaspard Dughet (1615-1675) - 'View of Tivoli with the Temple of the Sibyl', c.1645.

NEWHG : OP.0026. Oil on canvas, purchased via Anthony Blunt at the Ashburnham Estate sale at Sotheby’s, 1953.

Sotheby’s catalogue and letter, 1953

Lawrence Gowing

Page from the Sotheby’s catalogue showing lot 75, a pair of Gaspar Poussin (Gaspard Dughet) paintings selling for £400. Gowing had earmarked these for acquisition, but with buying the altarpiece first had insufficient funds. Anthony Blunt from the Courtauld Institute had bought the pair on behalf of the Art Gallery of Ontario, however he willingly relinquished one to Gowing for £200.

Exchange of letters with Benedict Nicolson, 1953

Lawrence Gowing

Gowing had been alerted to the Mortimer by Benedict Nicolson, then editor of The Burlington Magazine, who evidently Gowing had asked to look out for suitable pictures for him. Gowing is initially enthusiastic, apart from a concern about the painting’s decency.

"The picture is not at all indecent, and not in need of cleaning (I daresay a surface clean and revarnish is all that is necessary.). I am glad to hear you are interested, and I hope the purchase goes through without a hitch. Yours ever Ben".

Banditti Returning, 1775

John Hamilton Mortimer

John Hamilton Mortimer (1740-1779) - 'Banditti Returning', c.1775.

NEWHG : OP.0072 Oil on canvas, purchased from Appleby Brothers, 1953.

Boy Giving Water to a Dolphin, Cupid and Psyche, The Infant Lyrist Taming Cerberus & Sabrina

John Graham Lough

John Graham Lough (1798-1876)

Boy Giving Water to a Dolphin. NEWHG S.0007, Cupid and Psyche. NEWHG S.0008, The Infant Lyrist Taming Cerberus. NEWHG S.0006 (and not pictured Sabrina. NEWHG : S.0005). All in marble and presented by the Duke of Northumberland, 1953.

This group of dramatic marble carvings by the local sculptor John Graham Lough has graced the entrance hall of the Fine Art Department for many decades, they may have suffered an occasional indignity at the hand of a misguided student, but they are generally much admired.

The Facade, St. Jacques Façade, 1899

Walter Sickert

Walter Sickert (1860-1942) - 'The Facade, St. Jacques Façade' 1899.

NEWHG : D.0001. Chalk and wash on paper, presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1954.

The finished painting based on this squared up drawing is in the collection of the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. The drawing had been in the collection of Sir Edward Marsh, part of which had been exhibited at the Hatton in early 1953. On his death Marsh left much of his collection to the Contemporary Art Society to be distributed to collections around the country.

Still life With Bowl, Spoon and Apples, 1913

Mark Gertler

Mark Gertler (1891-1939) - 'Still life With Bowl, Spoon and Apples' 1913.

NEWHG : OP.0061. Oil on board presented by Contemporary Art Society, 1954.

This painting originally belonged to Sir Edward Marsh and had been shown in the Hatton exhibition of his collection the year before it was acquired.

The Artist’s Mother Reading in Bed, 1917

Harold Gilman

Harold Gilman (1876-1919) - 'The Artist's Mother Reading in Bed' 1917.

NEWHG : D.0014. Ink on paper purchased from the artist’s widow, 1954.

This small drawing was purchased directly from the artists’ widow, Mrs Sylvia Gilman, at around the same time as the Arts Council had organised a major retrospective exhibition, which had done much to re-establish his reputation.

The Drunkenness of Noah, 1600

Camillo Procaccini

Camillo Procaccini (c.1555-1629) - 'The Drunkenness of Noah', c.1600.

NEWHG : OP.0030. Oil on canvas purchased from the Biddulph Collection sale, Sotheby’s (12/5/1954).

Letter concerning ‘The Drunkenness of Noah’, 1954

This fine painting was purchased for £100, without a frame. There is a drawing in red chalk of a detail of the painting in the National Gallery of Canada.

The Case History, 1952

Claude Rogers

Claude Rogers (1907-1979) - 'The Case History' 1952.

NEWHG : OP.0009. Oil on canvas, purchased from the artist, 1955.

Gowing selected this painting and three additional drawings to purchase from Rogers’ exhibition at the Hatton in 1955. The subject is from a series (for example ‘The Patient Opposite’ in the Tate collection) Rogers completed after a period of convalescing in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington. Rogers regularly served as one the annual external examiners to the Fine Art Department between 1954-66.

The Descent From the Cross, 1620

Domenichino

Domenichino (1581-1641) - 'The Descent From the Cross’ (after the altarpiece fresco by Daniele da Volterra), c.1620.

NEWHG : OP.0048. Oil on canvas purchased from P.&D. Colnaghi, 1955.

Letter from Roderic Thesiger, 1955

Lawrence Gowing

Gowing again used his connection with Roderic Thesiger, though this time through Colnaghi’s rather than directly with him, to purchase this painting which had hung in Broadlands since Viscount Palmerston had bought it around 1780. Considerable doubt has been cast on the attribution of this painting to Domenichino, as with over 40 known copies still in existence, da Volterra’s original in the la Trinità dei Monti was one of the most copied images in Rome.

Portrait of a Young Man, 1675

Jakob-Ferdinand Voet

Jakob-Ferdinand Voet (1639-c.1700) - 'Portrait of a Young Man', c.1675.

NEWHG : OP.0070. Oil on canvas purchased from Sotheby’s, 1955.

Sotheby’s catalogue, 1954

Jakob-Ferdinand Voet

As can be seen from the page from the original Sotheby’s sale catalogue, the painting was originally acquired as ‘The Earl of Montrose’ by the French portraitist Hyacinthe Rigaud. It is not clear exactly how or when, but Ralph Holland recorded that Oliver Millar (Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures 1972-88) reattributed the painting to Voet.

Landscape with Green Church, 1951

Keith Vaughan

Keith Vaughan (1912-1977) - 'Landscape with Green Church' 1951.

NEWHG : OP.0056. Oil on canvas purchased from the Keith Vaughan exhibition, 1956

A letter to Keith Vaughan, 1956

Lawrence Gowing

The Hatton’s Keith Vaughan exhibition had taken place earlier in 1956, as Gowing’s apologetic letter confirms, after offering a discount on the price, the College then failed to pay him for several months.

The Goats, 1952

William Roberts

William Roberts (1895-1980) - 'The Goats' 1952.

NEWHG : OP.0062. Oil on canvas presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1956.

A letter to William Roberts, 1956

Lawrence Gowing

Roberts was apparently encouraged to paint ‘The Goats’ at the suggestion of Wilfred Evill, who was not only a Roberts collector, but also a buyer for the Contemporary Art Society between 1946-56. Simultaneous with the acquisition Gowing was also trying to persuade Roberts to exhibit in the Hatton, unfortunately due to other commitments he declined. The Hatton held a major William Roberts exhibition in 2004.

The Holy Family, 1520

Andrea del Sarto

After Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530) – ‘The Holy Family’ c.1520-1530.

c.1520-1530. NEWHG : OP.0103. Oil on panel purchased at Sotheby’s, 1956.

Letters from Gowing, 1956

Lawrence Gowing

Following the purchase of the ‘The Holy Family’ Gowing engaged in a range of correspondence, which show how personally, if occasionally haphazardly, he was involved in acquisitions. The commissioning of a new frame proved ‘grossly expensive’ and the question of the use of oil or tempera in the extensive restoration required detailed correspondence.

The Lamentation, 1600

Hugo van der Goes

After Hugo van der Goes (c.1440-1482) - 'The Lamentation'.

NEWHG : OP.0047. Oil on panel purchased from Anderson and Garland Ltd, 1957.

1960s record sheet for ‘The Lamentation’

Hugo van der Goes

Unusually two old master works were acquired locally rather than through London dealers or auctioneers. Both this painting and the Jacob de Wit had belonged to the Silvertop family of Minsteracres. In 1950 Charles Silvertop had sold the family home for conversion into a religious retreat, and a few years later he sold much of his art collection. Similarly to ‘The Descent from the Cross’ attributed to Domenichino, also in the Hatton Collection, numerous versions of this image, from the 16^th and 17^th centuries, can be found across Europe, the nearest being in the Bowes Museum collection.

Christ on the Cross, 1720

Jacob de Wit

Jacob de Wit (1695-1754) - 'Christ on the Cross', c.1720.

NEWHG : OP.0073. Oil on canvas purchased from Anderson and Garland Ltd, 1957.

Letter from Mawson, Swan & Morgan Ltd, 1957

Lawrence Gowing

Also purchased from the Silvertop sale at Anderson & Garland, the required restoration work on the painting was also undertaken locally, as this wonderfully formal letter from Mawson, Swan & Morgan Ltd confirms. This grisaille painting, imitating the effect of a relief sculpture, would originally have been painted for a specific architectural setting.

Letter to the Gulbenkian Foundation, 1958

Lawrence Gowing

During the 1950s Gowing had been utilising funds provided by the 1909 Joseph Shipley bequest to the College, originally intended for equipment and materials, Gowing had persuaded the University authorities that by 1952 these were in plentiful supply and the money would be better put towards the Permanent Collection. By 1958 the Shipley funds were diminished and a fresh source of money was required. In this letter Gowing lays out his justification for developing the Collection to the Gulbenkian Foundation, who would ultimately make £2,000 available for this purpose.

Press cutting, 1959

Leading up to and following Gowing’s departure, acquisitions slowed down. However, as this local press article celebrates, his successful application to the Gulbenkian Foundation meant that his successor, Professor Kenneth Rowntree, could continue the development of the Collection through the 1960s.

Determined Progression, 1953

Adrian Heath

Adrian Heath (1920-1992) - 'Determined Progression' 1953.

NEWHG : OP.0032. Oil on board presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1959.

Letter from Contemporary Art Society, 1959

Leonard Evetts

Letter to Leonard Evetts, who was briefly the Acting Head of Department between Gowing and Rowntree, from Pauline Vogelpoel, who worked at the Contemporary Art Society from 1954 to 1976, confirming the allocation of the Heath painting, apparently the 4^th choice.

Yellow Pool Pull, 1959

Alan Davie

Alan Davie (1920-2014) - 'Yellow Pool Pull' 1959.

NEWHG : 2011.2 Oil on paper purchased from Gimpel Fils, 1960.

Label from ‘Yellow Pool Pull’, 1959

Alan Davie

It was unusual for such a ‘new’ (this painting label confirms it was just a few months old) work as this Alan Davie to be acquired for the Collection, in this case direct from the dealer, Gimpel Fils.

Peasant Family, 1700

Antonio Amorosi

Antonio Amorosi (1660-1738) - 'Peasant Family', c.1700-1730.

NEWHG : OP.0069. Oil painting purchased from Christie's, 1960.

Catalogue sheet for ‘Peasant Family’, 1960

Ralph Holland

The Amorosi was one of the first works Rowntree acquired with the funds Gowing had secured from the Gulbenkian Fund. Ralph Holland produced this catalogue summary sheet describing the work and its attribution.

Letter to Professor Ellis Waterhouse, 1960

Kenneth Rowntree

On acquisition Rowntree wrote to the Barber Institute’s Professor Ellis Waterhouse, former Director of the National Galleries of Scotland and an expert in Italian Baroque painting, asking his opinion on the Amorosi.

No Featured Acquisitions

There are no featured Acquisitions available in 1961. However, please see the 1962 archive to explore further Acquisitions.

Study of a Nude, 1920

Mark Gertler

Mark Gertler (1891-1939) - 'Study of a Nude'.

NEWHG : D.0033. Charcoal drawing on paper purchased from Sotheby's, 1962.

Sotheby’s invoice, 1962

Mark Gertler

Invoice for the Mark Gertler drawing purchased from Sotheby’s. This acquisition would mark the start of a year of focused purchasing by Rowntree, of particularly 20^th Century British drawings, which was mirrored in the exhibitions programme, with two significant displays of drawings taking place that year.

Study of a Nude, 1909

Walter Sickert

Walter Sickert (1860-1942) – ‘Study of a Nude’ 1909.

NEWHG : D.0013. Purchased from Sotheby's, 1962.

Sickert made a number of very similar studies to this one, with both a threatening male figure (eg. ‘Study for L’Affaire de Camden Town’ in the Whitworth Art Gallery), relating to a contemporary murder in Camden Town, and another with an apparently friendly female figure (eg. ‘The Conversation’ in the Royal College of Art Collection).

Standing Female Nudes, 1920

William Roberts

William Roberts (1895-1980), 'Standing Female Nudes' 1920.

NEWHG : D.0028 & NEWHG : D.0029. Pencil and watercolour drawing purchased from Sotheby's, 1962.

Sotheby’s invoice, 1962

William Roberts

Invoice from Sotheby’s, showing that the two William Roberts studies were bought at the same time as the Sickert nude (which cost considerably more).

Zwemmer Gallery invoice, 1962

Wyndham Lewis

Invoice from Zwemmer Gallery showing that the Lewis drawing was purchased for £35.

Portrait of Lady Perdita Jolliffe, 1938

Wyndham Lewis

Wyndham Lewis (1882-1957) - 'Portrait of Lady Perdita Jolliffe' 1938.

NEWHG : D.0031. Pencil and watercolour drawing on paper purchased from the Zwemmer Gallery, 1962.

Lady Perdita Jolliffe (1910–1996) was the daughter of Herbert Asquith, the Liberal Prime Minister (1908-16), in 1931 she married William Jolliffe, the 4th Baron Hylton.

Drawing for Sculpture, 1961

Eduardo Paolozzi

Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) - 'Drawing for Sculpture' 1961.

NEWHG : D.0023. Ink drawing on paper, purchased from the artist, 1962.

Cover note to Paolozzi, 1962

Eduardo Paolozzi

Cover note from the University Finance Officer to Paolozzi, enclosing payment for the drawing via a cheque for £15. 15s 0. (equivalent to around £300 in 2016).

Study for Portrait VI, 1956-57

Francis Bacon

Francis Bacon - 'Study for Portrait VI' 1956-57.

NEWHG : OP.0054. Oil on canvas presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1962.

Letter to the Contemporary Arts Society, 1961

Kenneth Rowntree

Having viewed the display of potential acquisitions at the Contemporary Art Society’s annual exhibition, Rowntree placed the Bacon at the top of his priority list to be submitted to Pauline Vogelpoel and the Committee, making his case in the context of the development of the Collection. Given the probable competition for the Bacon, Rowntree’s application can be seen as a great success, unfortunately however the potential Ben Nicholson mentioned came to nothing.

No Featured Acquisitions

There are no featured Acquisitions available in 1963. However, please see the 1964 archive to explore further Acquisitions.

The Embarkation of St. Paula for the Holy Land, 1738

Pierre Subleyras

Pierre Subleyras (1699-1749) - 'The Embarkation of St. Paula for the Holy Land' c.1738.

NEWHG : OP.0042. Oil on canvas purchased from P&D Colnaghi, 1964.

Letter from the V&A Museum, 1964

Kenneth Rowntree

Many galleries have benefited from the V&A Purchase Grant Fund since its instigation in 1881, Rowntree was able to secure 50% of the costs of the Subleyras to supplement the funds from the Gulbenkian Foundation.

Merz Barn Wall, 1947-48

Kurt Schwitters

Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) – ‘Merz Barn Wall’ 1947-48.

NEWHG : S0028. Presented by Harry Pierce, with moving costs provided by the V&A Purchase Grant and the Rothley Trust, 1965.

In early 1959 while the Hatton hosted an exhibition of Schwitters’ work, Gowing reported to the Arts Council’s Arts Panel that a ‘building in Ambleside, now rapidly disintegrating, which housed a construction by Schwitters, should, he felt, be preserved.’  This set in train a complex chain of events that led to the Merz Barn Wall being permanently installed in the Gallery.

A letter to Harry Fairhurst, 1962

Kenneth Rowntree

As the date of this letter from Rowntree to Harry Fairhurst, Harry Pierce’s son-in-law, indicates, the University were showing interest in the Barn from 1962, Richard Hamilton having first persuaded Rowntree, who in turn convinced the University authorities to get involved. However, after the Tate Gallery declined the offer of a gift in June 1962 nearly three more years of discussions about the Merz Barn’s future followed, involving the University, Abbot Hall in Kendal, Marlborough Gallery in London, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the Barn’s owner, Harry Pierce.

Deed of Gift, 1965

Kurt Schwitters

Harry Pierce finally signed a formal Deed of Gift to the University on 26 March 1965 and Hamilton began coordinating a detailed survey of the Wall before it was moved at the end of September 1965.

Merz Barn Wall press cuttings, 1965

Kurt Schwitters

Moving the Merz Barn Wall garnered considerable local and national press coverage, of which these are two representative examples.

Harpy and Victim, 1960

Robert Medley

Robert Medley (1905-1994) – ‘Harpy and Victim’.

NEWHG : D.0041. Drawing on paper purchased from the artist, 1965.

University memo, 1965

Robert Medley

The purchase of this Robert Medley drawing from the exhibition at the Hatton, also coincided with his year-long tenure as Fellow in Painting in the Fine Art Department.

Ripon Cathedral, 1933

Charles Ginner

Charles Ginner (1878-1952) - 'Ripon Cathedral' 1933.

NEWHG : OP.0058. Oil on canvas purchased from Miller's Saleroom, Newcastle, 1965.

This painting was originally commissioned from Ginner by the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER) for a poster promoting rail travel to the ancient cathedral city of Ripon in Yorkshire (‘Its quicker by rail’). The painting turned up in a Newcastle auction room, apparently having once belonged to the local newspaper The Chronicle.

Untitled White Painting, 1960

Brett Whiteley

Brett Whiteley (1939-1992) - 'Untitled White Painting' 1960.

NEWHG : OP.0083. Oil on canvas presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1965.

Contemporary Art Society Annual Report, 1961

Brett Whiteley

Like the Tate, the Contemporary Art Society acquired a Brett Whiteley painting from the Recent Australian Painting exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1961, which they then reproduced (upside down!) as the frontispiece for their 1961 Annual Report, it was few years later that it was eventually allocated to the Hatton. Whiteley spent time in Britain and Europe in the early 1960s before returning to Australia, where he became widely acclaimed for his figurative paintings.

No Featured Acquisitions

There are no featured Acquisitions available in 1966. However, please see the 1967 archive to explore further Acquisitions.

View of Tynemouth Priory, 1785

Ralph Waters

Ralph Waters (1720-98) 'View of Tynemouth Priory' c.1785.

NEWHG : OP.0121. Purchased via the Principal of Wye College, 1967.

Letter from Dunstan Skilbeck, 1967

Charles Bosanquet

Unusually this acquisition was partly arranged through Charles Bosanquet, the University’s Vice-Chancellor who was in direct contact with Dunstan Skilbeck, the Principal of Wye College in Kent. It is not clear whether the painting came from Skilbeck’s or the College’s collection, however the University found the requested £200 and then allocated the painting to the Hatton collection.

Portrait of a Boy, 1823

Louis Léopold Boilly

Attributed to Louis Léopold Boilly (1761–1845) - 'Portrait of a Boy' 1823.

NEWHG : OP.0043. Oil on canvas purchased from Sotheby's, 1968.

1970s record sheet for ‘Portrait of a Boy’

Ralph Holland

This record card, probably from the early 1970s, confirms that when purchased at Sotheby’s it was catalogued merely as by ‘Monogrammist B’, Ralph Holland seems to have favoured Benoist as an attribution, where Boilly came from is not recorded.

Letter from Pierre Rosenberg, 1998

In 1998 the portrait was included in the exhibition ‘The Art Treasures of England: the regional collections’ at the Royal Academy, seeing the painting there led Pierre Rosenberg, the then ‘President-director’ of the Musée du Louvre to write, suggesting yet another possible attribution: “I do not believe it can be attributed to Boilly. I wonder if the monogram which appears on the artwork is not rather that of Blondel, but this is only a hypothesis that I would like to point out in all modesty.”

The District Line, 1964

Prunella Clough

Prunella Clough (1919-99) - 'The District Line' 1964.

NEWHG : OP.0100. Oil on canvas presented by the Contemporary Art Society, 1968.

Letter from the Contemporary Art Society, 1968

Kenneth Rowntree

Rowntree, like Gowing before him, was able to secure a significant group of British 20^th century artists for the Collection through the Contemporary Art Society. Under Rowntree they were, like Clough, increasingly ‘contemporary’.

Study for a Painting, 1920

David Bomberg

David Bomberg (1890-1957) - 'Study for a Painting (Imaginative Composition)’ c.1920.

NEWHG : OP.0119. Oil on paper purchased from Sotheby's, 1968.

This painting is from an unusual group of about 50 transitionary works, which Bomberg referred to as ‘Imaginative Compositions’, made around 1920, between his fragmented ‘Vorticist’ works and more painterly landscapes and portraits.

Figures in a Landscape, 1750

Claude-Joseph Vernet

Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) - 'Figures in a Landscape' c.1750.

NEWHG : OP.0040. Oil on canvas purchased from P&D Colnaghi, 1968.

Letter to the V&A Museum, 1968

Kenneth Rowntree

P&D Colnaghi, and particularly Roderic Thesiger, remained under Rowntree, as with Gowing, the main source of old master works for the Collection. With prices increasing and the funds available dwindling, Rowntree again had to apply to the V&A Purchase Grant Fund to raise sufficient money to complete the acquisition.

The Thames, 1941

John Minton

John Minton (1917-57) – ‘The Thames’ 1941.

NEWHG : D.0002. Ink on paper. Presented by Judge Lyall Wilkes, 1968.

A letter to Judge Lyall Wilkes, 1968

Henry Miller

By the end of the 1960s occasional gifts would become the main source of additions to the Permanent Collection, here the new University Vice-Chancellor, Henry Miller writes expressing his thanks to Judge Lyall Wilkes (1914-1991), an English historian, circuit judge and Labour Party politician, for the gift of the Minton work on paper.