A significant collection of Modern British masterpieces is going on display for the first time at Chatsworth House in a New Gallery next year with works by artists such as Stanley Spencer, LS Lowry, Frank Auerbach, Leon Kossoff, Harry Epworth Allen, William Roberts, Alan Davie, Edward Burra, Kenneth Armitage, William Turnbull, Eduardo Paolozzi and Reg Butler.
Frank and Cherryl Cohen – internationally known as major collectors of contemporary art – are lending their collection of modern British paintings and sculpture for an exhibition in the New Gallery at Chatsworth House in spring 2012.
The Cohens collection of Modern British paintings is less well known and has never been exhibited publically before. The first modern British painting which they acquired was My Family by LS Lowry, bought in the early 70s, with more works added regularly over the subsequent years.
The Duke of Devonshire, Chairman of the Chatsworth House Trust, said: I am absolutely delighted that Frank and Cherryl have agreed to share their wonderful collection of Modern British paintings and sculpture with a wider audience. The Cohens share with us a great interest in this collecting area and indeed a number of the artists represented in this exhibition are also in the collection at Chatsworth. I am sure that visitors to Chatsworth will be delighted to see paintings and sculpture of such remarkable quality: the Chatsworth House Trust is deeply grateful to Frank and Cherryl for allowing us to share these masterpieces with us all.
Frank Cohen has commissioned Howard Jacobson, recent Booker prize winner, to write an essay for the catalogue which will be heavily illustrated. The exhibition will be curated by Robert Upstone, a well known writer and specialist in this area, in collaboration with Matthew Hirst, Head of Arts and Historic Collections at Chatsworth. Robert was Curator of Modern British Art at Tate Britain for many years where he staged a number of major shows. Recently he has become a Director of The Fine Art Society. Robert said: ‘I am very excited to be working with Frank and Cherryl at Chatsworth. Seeing the works exhibited will be a revelation for visitors, as this is both one of the finest and most definitive private collections of Modern British art.’
Frank Cohen said: My wife Cherryl and myself feel very privileged that our Modern British Collection, acquired over some 40 years together, will be seen for the very first time in the magnificent setting of Chatsworth.
The New Gallery at Chatsworth will be opened in May 2011 with an exhibition celebrating the life and collections of William Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790-1859), curated by Matthew Hirst and Hannah Obee.
Matthew said: Frank and Cherryl Cohen at Chatsworth House is the first in a new programme of loan exhibitions being brought into Chatsworth House to give our visitors the chance to enjoy a wide ranging artistic offer alongside our permanent collections. We hope to stage at least one such exhibition every year.
The Cohen collection of Modern British works has been taken out of storage specifically for this exhibition at Chatsworth House.