Artists and Patrons in Post-War Britain. Edited by Margaret Garlake.


Reg Butler Head, 1948-9 Forged and welded iron
Reg Butler Head, 1948-9 Forged and welded iron


After World War Two art patronage in Britain expanded rapidly. Concentration on the Arts Council had obscured the diversity of this patronage and the pioneering connections established between artists and the art world by such organizations as the county councils, the British Council, the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Whitechapel Art Gallery. A complete network of cultural, financial, local, regional and international relationships emerged during this period that embraced art education, publishing and the staging of exhibitions and events. The political nature of much state patronage, its reciprocity with commercial and corporate funding and the continuing role of private patrons has seldom been examined. The five case studies offer insights into these and related issues and explore the ideas that fashioned various forms of patronage in the early post-war years. This second volume is now available for purchase at the reception desk of the Institute at a reduced price. The first volume Art, Politics and Civic Religion in Central Italy 1261-1352, is also available.