Abstract
Abstract Nineteenth-century art collecting in Britain is typically characterized as a rejection of the earlier aristocratic tradition of amassing Old Masters in favour of a bourgeois preference for more relevant contemporary paintings. Inspired by the intellectual ideal of ‘Bildung’, however, German-Jewish collectors settling in fin-de-siècle London brought with them an expectation of high cultural engagement with the most important masterworks of the European tradition. This paper’s reconstruction of the lost collection of Leopold and Mathilde Hirsch reveals a level of sophistication and personal involvement with the art market which dispels any suggestion that these were uncultured parvenus seeking to secure a place in high society by means of conspicuous consumption. It also requires us to distinguish between German-Jewish migrant collectors and their British contemporaries when describing the different models of collecting among those who shared a non-aristocratic family background.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.