Edward James was a life-long patron of the arts and supported young painters, composers, and writers. He joined the committee called La Serenade formed to promote new musical works and was concerned to aid those young composers who had not yet met with recognition or needed financial backing in order to reach a larger public. In 1933 Edward James financed the presentation of a season of ballet in Paris with Georges Balanchine as choreographer. The ballet was rapturously received, first in Paris, then at the London Savoy.
Perhaps one of the things for which Edward James is best remembered, is for his patronage of painters, and throughout Edward’s life, he supported many young artists such as Salvador Dalí, Rene Magritte, and Pavel Tchelitchew, buying their work, which was then, unfashionable. In this way, he unintentionally amassed what has come to be accepted as one of the finest collections of surrealist art in Europe. A few of these paintings still remain at West Dean, although the majority of his surrealist collection has been dispersed.
Edward James allowed Rene Magritte to stay at his home at paint there rent free during the years he was not so famous, he also sponsored Dali for the whole of 1938
http://www.westdean.org.uk/CollegeChannel/College/History/TheEdwardJamesFoundation.aspx
No comments:
Post a Comment