• Home
• Search Spoilations

Spoliation reports

This institution also provides a list of works with incomplete provenance during the period 1933-1945.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY

National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place
LONDON WC2H 0HE

Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation:
Jacob Simon, Chief Curator
Tel: 020 7306-0055
Fax: 020 7306-0056
E-mail: jsimon@npg.org.uk

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION

Portraits in various media of eminent persons in British History

1. OVERALL PLANS

A. Areas which could contain looted items
All primary collection portraits executed before 1945 and acquired after 1933.

B. Areas excluded and why

• Archive and Library items. These reference collections are almost entirely of low value, of British provenance, and most of the significant items were acquired before 1933.
• Primary collection portraits acquired from sitters' families or directly from the artist or family of the artist.

C. Target area and timetable for research
After spot checks, the first area prioritised for research is portraits by named foreign artists since in the National Portrait Gallery these are statistically the most likely to have foreign provenances.

In addition there are approximately 2,500 British portraits by British artists which are less likely to have foreign provenances.

D. Areas considered a lower priority and why
The photography collection is considered to be of low priority. Apart from the practical difficulty of checking the provenances, there is at present no reason to suspect that any of the photographs in the collection were ever in collections outside the UK at the time in question.

2. RESEARCH CARRIED OUT OR BEING CARRIED OUT IN TARGET AREAS.

A Process and sources for initial checks from information readily to hand

The Gallery's acquisition data and object files have been checked for paintings in the target area.

B Description of checks being carried out beyond desk research
Research in related documentation and correspondence with institutions on the continent.

3. INFORMATION REGARDING PROGRESS IN THE TARGET AREA

A No. of items in target area

114

B No. of items where provenance has been tested satisfactorily
119 (Including spot checks)

C No. of items where initial checks on provenance are still being made from internal sources and information readily to hand.

Research completed February 2000, reviewed March 2009

D No. of items for which initial research can be taken no further and additional information is being sought from external sources
(see list at Appendix)

4. INFORMATION ON MAKING GENERAL ENQUIRIES OR ABOUT COLLECTIONS

A. Contact for all enquiries about Holocaust or WWII Spoliation

Jacob Simon, Chief Curator
Tel: 020 7306 0055
Fax: 020 7306 0056
email: jsimon@npg.org.uk

B. Archives
The archives of the National Portrait Gallery which comprise its historical, administrative and collections records are held in the Heinz Archive and Library as part of the Muniments Collection. They date from the foundation of the Gallery and document all areas of gallery activity including the quarterly meetings of its Trustees, buildings, staff, finance, visitors, acquisitions, catalogues, exhibitions, loans, education, publications, design, research and portrait correspondence.

Also housed within the Muniments are the official papers of past NPG Directors and the private and family papers of the first Director, Sir George Scharf. Current records are held by departments pending transfer to the Archive and Library.

Other material generated in the course of Gallery activities that is not deemed to have archival status may be retained in a series of portrait information or research files if it is deemed relevant to the study of British portraiture. The Muniments collection and portrait files are accessible to the public on an appointment basis via the Heinz Archive and Library Public Study Room which is open Tuesday-Friday 10.00 - 17.00.

Details of Published catalogues and how to get access to them
Published catalogues are available as follows:

D. Saywell and J. Simon, National Portrait Gallery Complete Illustrated Catalogue (2004)
R. Strong, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits (1969)
D. Piper, Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery (1963)
J. Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits (1977)
R. Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits (1973)
R. Walker, Regency Portraits (1985)

J. Ingamells, Mid-Georgian Portraits (2004)

 

C. How to make enquiries about collections
Initial enquiries should at present be directed to the Information Desk. Collection details are available on line.

D. Press office contact
Press officer Tel 020 7306 0055

E. Address of the Institution
National Portrait Gallery
St Martin's Place
LONDON WC2H 0HE

F. Website
http://www.npg.org.uk