John Piper

From the collection of Lord Clark, O.M., and thence by descent to the present owner

Kenneth Clark (1903-1983) was an aesthete with an acute intelligence and a wide range of artistic tastes, and the inherited wealth both to indulge his likes and to act as a patron to artists such as Moore, Sutherland and Pasmore. Though primarily known for his seminal television series Civilisation, Lord Clark held a variety of important and scholarly positions within the British art establishment including, at the age of 31, being Director of the National Gallery; he was also a prolific lecturer and author on the Arts - and he used and promoted the Arts when he worked for the Ministry of Information during the Second World War.

 

Over the period from November 2014 until February 2015 a number of select pieces will be offered by Sotheby's London from the Clark family collection: an initial from a Renaissance Choirbook (Mara.Hofmann@sothebys.com); a Robert Adam book on Diocletian's palace from the Kimbolton Castle Library (Roger.Griffiths@sothebys.com); Victorian pictures by Huskisson, Alma-Tadema, Nicol and Richmond (Simon.Toll@sothebys.com); a Meissen model of the Gellert Monument and a documentary Derby goat by Willems (Richard.Hird@sothebys.com); a 15th Century mother-of-pearl roundel (Erik.Bijzet@sothebys.com); a brass ring by Alexander Calder being offered by our New York Contemporary Department (Katherine.Trezza@sothebys.com); a Moore, Piper and Nolan within the Modern British auction (Simon.Hucker@sothebys.com); and a Cezanne, Bonnard and Miro within the February 2015 Impressionist auctions (Eva.Donnerhack@sothebys.com). There is also a silver marriage schauguldiner coin being offered by Sotheby's associates Morton & Eden (james@mortonandeden.com).