Burgh House & Hampstead Museum is delighted to announce that it has been able to acquire work by Hampstead artist Lancelot Ribeiro (1933-2010), the subject of a past major retrospective at the House (26 October 2016-19 March 2017), which launched the HLF-funded Retracing Ribeiro project).
Art Fund, the national charity for art, has supported the acquisition of the painting Untitled (Townscape) 1964, a work of exceptional quality which shows hints of recognisable London landmarks.
In addition to Untitled (Townscape), Burgh House has added two more Ribeiro paintings to its collection:
Ribeiro’s highly experimental approach in both medium and artistic style is embodied in these three diverse paintings. As an artist whose output was closely tied with the borough, his work resonates with the Burgh House collection, whose focus is the history of Hampstead and its place within the broader city.
The artist’s daughter Marsha Ribeiro, who realised the 2016 exhibition at Burgh House and curated a nationwide programme to celebrate her father’s life and artistic legacy says:
“I am delighted that Art Fund has supported the acquisition of this miniature oil townscape for theBurgh House & Hampstead Museum. This painting, alongside the two other watercolour landscapes the museum has now acquired, epitomise my father’s innate experimental temperament and his ever-inventive approach to style and technique. Produced in Hampstead, I believe that these works have found their natural home in our local Burgh House which has long embraced Ribeiro’s work and cultural heritage.”
Burgh House curator Rebecca Lodge says:
“We are so grateful to Art Fund for their support in the acquisition of Untitled (Townscape) by Lancelot Ribeiro, and we’re delighted that Ribeiro is now represented in the Burgh House collection. The paintings enable us to tell more fully the story of this area and its inspirational cultural life.”
Indian artist Lancelot Ribeiro settled permanently in Belsize Park from 1964. He was not only a prolific artist in his own right, but he also supported the careers of fellow Indian artists, co-founding such groups as the Indian Painters Collective (1963), to Indian Artists UK (1978/79), and lectured for the Commonwealth Institute. Ribeiro brought the ‘Arts of India’ to Burgh House in an exhibition in 1980.
Lodge adds:
“It is this long-held association with the House that we want to celebrate through the acquisition of these remarkable works. Each are testament to a tangible progression in the artist’s work, and to the inspiration that he drew from his surroundings.”
Burgh House and Hampstead Museum is planning a series of workshops and learning opportunities to explore these new additions in2019, and it is in the preliminary stages of working with Marsha Ribeiro to curate a major new landscape exhibition based on these paintings for 2021.
The three paintings will be on display in Burgh House’s first floor Christopher Wade room from 9 January 2019, and Marsha Ribeiro will speak about the significance of these works and their acquisition by Burgh House, in a short talk on Friday 1 February at 3pm.
For more information about these new acquisitions, please contact Rebecca Lodge, Burgh House Curator.
Telephone: 0207 431 0144
Email: rebecca.lodge@burghhouse.org.uk
Burgh House is a dynamic arts centre, recital space, museum, gallery, gift shop, private hire venue and home to many long established Hampstead societies. The House is run by a small, independent, self-funded charity. A fine Grade I listed Queen Anne mansion built in 1704, residents have ranged from artisans, bankers, politicians and clergymen, to Hampstead’s most famous spa physician and RudyardKipling’s daughter. The House was even used for a brief spell as a militia headquarters. Burgh House andHampstead Museum holds a collection of over 4,000 documents, objects, photographs and artworks, and has a permanent display that charts the history of Hampstead, as well as two rooms for temporary exhibitions. Burgh House runs an extensive programme of education and events for all tastes and ages.The licensed Buttery Café is a popular meeting place, serving homemade seasonal dishes and afternoon tea. The modern Peggy Jay Gallery hosts regularly changing contemporary art exhibitions by local and international artists.
Art Fund is the national fundraising charity for art. In the past five years alone Art Fund has given £34million to help museums and galleries acquire works of art for their collections. It also helps museums share their collections with wider audiences by supporting a range of tours and exhibitions, and makes additional grants to support the training and professional development of curators. Art Fund is independently funded, with the core of its income provided by 139,000 members who receive the National Art Pass and enjoy free entry to over 240 museums, galleries and historic places across the UK, as well as 50% off entry to major exhibitions and subscription to Art Quarterly magazine. In addition to grant-giving, Art Fund’s support for museums includes Art Fund Museum of the Year (won by Tate St Ives in 2018) and a range of digital platforms.