Magnates and Masterpieces: The German-Jewish Collectors of Edwardian Britain

The first published account of the German-Jewish magnates who won an international reputation as the leading art collectors of Edwardian Britain

The small but conspicuous group of German-Jewish magnates who settled in fin-de-siècle Britain filled their homes with the finest paintings, tapestries and decorative artworks that money could buy. Their high-profile acts of philanthropy and cultural patronage earned them public honours and popular esteem, establishing them within the most exalted ranks of Edwardian society. Yet their loyalties were called into question during the dark days of the First World War and their collections dispersed after their deaths, so that their presence has been largely written out of art history.

Magnates and Masterpieces is the first publication to explore the contribution made by German-Jewish collectors to the art scene in Edwardian Britain, and beyond. As well as reconstructing their spectacular collections, the book uncovers the ideals and aspirations that the collectors brought with them from their New Humanist upbringing in Germany, most notably a belief in the power of art to enrich the soul. Lavishly illustrated and drawing on previously unseen archives, Magnates and Masterpieces restores the German-Jewish collectors of Edwardian Britain to their rightful place in twentieth-century cultural history.

John Hilary is an honorary professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham, and author of From Refugees to Royalty: The Remarkable Story of the Messel Family of Nymans (Peter Owen, 2021).