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

The 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; yet their loyalties were called into question during the First World War, and their presence has been largely written out of the historical record. In this illustrated presentation based on his new book published by Yale University Press, John Hilary explores 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.