| Named_Collection | Roland Penrose |
| Title | Roland Penrose |
| Level | Collection |
| Artist | Penrose; Sir; Roland (1900 - 1984) |
| Date | 1850 - 1984 |
| Language | English |
| French |
| Ref_No | GMA A35 |
| Description | The archive and library of Sir Roland Penrose; papers, drawings, photographs, postcards, recordings, books, posters, including material relating to the Peckover family of Wisbech (11,852 items).
The collection is sorted into the following sections:
/1. Archive
/1/1. Files (759 files)
/1/2. Postcards (23 files)
/1/3. Photographs (402 files)
/1/4. Sketchbooks, scrapbooks, objects (12 files)
/1/5. Recordings (10 files)
/1/6. Accruals (3 files)
/2. Library
/2/RPL1. Books (8750 titles)
/2/RPL2. Exhibition catalogues (1300 items)
/2/RPL3. Journals (234 items)
/2/RPL4. Peckover Library (156 titles)
/3. Posters (186 pieces) |
| Extent | 135 metres |
| Provenance | Purchased from the Penrose family in 1995. |
| Repository | Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Archive |
| Admin_History | Roland Penrose was born in 1900, and raised as a Quaker. A painter, writer, collector, exhibition organiser and supporter of modern art, he studied architecture at Cambridge University. He spent the years 1922 - 1935 mostly in France and met Max Ernst, Paul Eluard and André Breton, becoming involved in the Surrealist movement. While in France he began to collect Cubist and Surrealist works, as well as developing his own style of painting and experimenting with collage. Together with David Gascoyne (GMA A51) he was responsible for bringing Surrealism to Britain in the form of the International Surrealist Exhibition held in London in 1936. During the Second World War he lectured on camouflage to the Home Guard. In 1947 he helped to found the ICA in London, and remained its chairman until 1969. He organised exhibitions at the Tate Gallery for the Arts Council, including Picasso in 1960, Max Ernst in 1962 and Miró in 1964. His biography of Picasso was published in 1958. He was married to the surrealist artist Valentine Boué and then to the photographer Lee Miller. Penrose was knighted in 1966, and died in 1984. |
| Custodial_History | Purchased with the assistance of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund, 1995. |
| Finding_Aids | An item level list of the collection is available in the Reading Room. |