British Museum



-1339851123950press releasePRESS IMAGES: 00press releasePRESS IMAGES: 73 portrait drawings of Damien Hirst’s former business manager allocated to the British Museum under the Cultural Gifts Scheme A collection of 73 portraits of Frank Dunphy by Damien Hirst, known as The Wolseley Drawings, has been generously donated by Frank Dunphy through the Cultural Gifts Scheme and allocated to the British Museum. Frank Dunphy masterminded many important sales of Hirst’s work, during his time as his business manager and agent throughout the 90s and 2000s. Meeting for breakfast at the Wolseley in Mayfair, the pair would discuss their business affairs; it was during these meetings from 2004 to 2010 that Hirst produced these 73 portraits drawn on the back of the Wolseley restaurant’s 22cm diameter placemats. Hirst would rest a placemat on his knee, so that they were out of sight of passers-by, and begin to sketch in pen or pencil. Some of the portraits are stained with coffee and food from the breakfasts. Many are humorous, such as the portrayal of Dunphy as a boiled egg – drawn after a discussion between the pair as to whether it was best to open a boiled egg at its pointed or flat end! On others Hirst frequently alludes to auction dates of his own works, with titles including FRANK – PHARMACY AUCTION DAY! and SKULLDUGGERY DAY, the latter referring to the sale of his diamond and platinum skull sculpture, For the Love of God. The Wolseley Drawings provide a fascinating insight into one of the most important business relationships in contemporary British art, carrying with them the story of a significant member of the YBAs and his close friend and manager.This is the second donation made by Frank Dunphy through the Cultural Gifts Scheme: in 2018 six works by Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Peter Blake, Rachel Whiteread, Gavin Turk and Michael Craig Martin were given by Frank and his wife Lorna Dunphy to Pallant House Gallery in Chichester.Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum, said: “The British Museum is delighted to have acquired such a vivacious group of drawings by Damien Hirst, and we are grateful to the Cultural Gifts Scheme and to Frank Dunphy for making it possible. These drawings provide a compelling insight into one of the most fascinating and impactful art world partnerships. The British Museum already has extensive holdings documenting the centuries-old interaction between artists and the art market, and Hirst’s The Wolseley Drawings add a fascinating new chapter to that story.”Edward Harley OBE, Chairman, AIL Panel, said:?“This is the second gift that Frank Dunphy has generously donated through the Cultural Gifts Scheme and it is also the second work that the donor has given by Hirst, a leading figure in contemporary British art. The drawings are fascinating for the way in which they chronicle the artist’s success on the art market as well as Hirst’s relationship with Dunphy, his manager and friend. I am delighted that they will join the Department of Prints & Drawings at the British Museum where they can be seen and enjoyed by the public and where they will enhance the museum’s collection of graphic representations by artists of their dealers.”Michael Ellis MP, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said: “Damien Hirst is one of the most successful living artists with his work admired around the world. I am delighted that, thanks to the government’s Cultural Gifts Scheme, these works will become part of the British Museum’s collections and enjoyed by the public.”For more information please contact:Nathan Dean, Communications Officer, Arts Council EnglandTel: 0207 268 9648 Nathan.Dean@.uk Maxwell Blowfield, Press Officer, The British MuseumTel: 020 7323 8583 mblowfield@ Notes to editorsAccepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government and allocated to the British Museum, 2018. The donation of this collection generated a tax reduction of ?90,000.The Cultural Gifts Scheme was launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport in March 2013 as an important element of its expanding programme to encourage philanthropy for the arts. The Acceptance in Lieu Panel, chaired by Edward Harley, advises Ministers on all objects offered under the Cultural Gifts Scheme. The Scheme is administered by the Arts Council and enables UK taxpayers to donate important objects to the nation during their lifetime. Items accepted under the Scheme are allocated to public collections and are available for all. In return, donors will receive a reduction in their income tax, capital gains tax or corporation tax liability, based on a set percentage of the value of the object they are donating: 30 per cent for individuals and 20 per cent for companies. Arts Council is the national development body for arts and culture across England, working to enrich people’s lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to visual art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2018 and 2022, we will invest ?1.45 billion of public money from government and an estimated ?860 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. .ukThe British Museum was founded in 1753, and was the first national public museum in the world. From the outset it was a museum of the world, for the world, and this idea still lies at the heart of the Museum’s mission today. The collection tells the stories of cultures across the world, from the dawn of human history, over two million years ago, to the present. Objects range from the earliest tools made by humans and treasures from the ancient world to more recent acquisitions from Africa, Oceania and the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, as well as the national collections of prints and drawings, and coins and medals. In addition to work in London, the Museum takes part in an extensive programme of loans and tours, both across the UK and throughout the world. ................
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