Masterpieces from Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Frank Auerbach will be displayed at Sotheby’s as part of their summer exhibition celebrating Britain as an artistic ‘cultural melting pot’.
The premier auction house has brought 12 UK museums together to stage the exhibition highlighting the nations central role in the lives of leading international artists.
The month-long exhibition, London: An Artistic Crossroads, will be free of charge and bring together an assemblage of remarkable works by artists who passed through or settled in the UK during their lifetime
“In its own unique way, the UK has for centuries been a magnet for artists, thinkers and writers from around the world, attracted both by a broad spectrum of patronage - from royal to mercantile - and a tradition of open mindedness,” André Zlattinger, UK Deputy Chairman of Sotheby’s said.
“The exhibition at Sotheby’s will shine a light on this fascinating narrative, telling the tale of some of the artists who found inspiration, refuge, patronage and like-minded creative spirits in the UK.
“Their time here has often been marked by moments of exceptional artistic flourishing that underpin the rich, multicultural and innovative art scene that is as much a characteristic of the UK today as it always has been.”
The earliest of the works is a vivacious portrait by Flemish artist Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, who became one of the most sought-after portraitists in England during the 16th century.
Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Dame Lucie Rie are included in the line up, with all three having come to Britain from across Europe.
Lucian Freud arrived in London from Germany with his family in 1933, aged just ten years old, to escape the rise of Nazism.
Painted in London in 1952, Freud’s portrait of his friend John Minton - a teacher and an artist himself - will be displayed at the exhibition and is a significant work produced during a crucial period in the artist’s career.
For the most part, it was Freud who selected the sitter for his paintings, but in this case, it was Minton who commissioned the artist to paint his portrait, deeply impressed by a small-scale portrait of Francis Bacon, completed just a few months before.
Born in Dublin, Bacon left home in 1925 at the age of 16 and moved to London and will have one of his own paintings featured in the exhibition too.
Bacon’s Pope I (Study after Pope Innocent X by Diego Velázquez) from 1951 takes the Spanish master’s portrait of Pope Innocent X from 1650 as its inspiration.
Bacon’s worked on multiple versions of the painting for over 20 years resulting in a portrait that embodies the trauma and anguish of the post-war years.
A vase and a bowl from renowned potter Dame Lucy Rie will also be featured among the collection.
Rie was born and trained as a potter in Vienna, but fleeing the rise of Nazism moved to London in 1938. She was able to pursue her overriding ambition to return to making pots once the war ceased, creating in full force from her home-studio at Albion Mews in the centre of London
“The UK holds arguably the greatest public collection of art in the world,” Chief Executive of Art UK Andrew Ellis said.
“[The exhibition] powerfully illustrates how the UK’s rich cultural heritage draws on creators and influences emanating from well beyond our shores. All of us at Art UK greatly look forward to further collaborations with Sotheby’s that showcase the UK’s national art collection.”
London: An Artistic Crossroads will run from 25 May through to 5 July at Sotheby’s New Bond Street, and will be complemented by a rolling series of adjacent exhibitions and auctions, including material that further illuminates the central theme.
