'Zurbaran Centre' announced in UK
September 30 2016
Picture: BBC
The philanthropist and lover of Spanish art, Jonathan Ruffer, has announced a new part of his project to make the North East of Britain a centre for the study of Spanish art. The 'Zurbaran Project' has been launched between Auckland Castle Trust (which Ruffer funds, and which owns Zurbaran's series Jacob and his Sons, above) and Durham University to:
[...] provide a direct link between research and exhibition programming, creating student opportunities and allowing visitors to benefit from world-class research.
Postgraduate students will work alongside Auckland Castle’s curatorial staff, ensuring that the next generation of curators and museum professionals benefit from a hands-on experience of an evolving collection.
It is envisaged that the centre, which will also host major conferences and workshops, will raise the public profile and understanding of Spanish and Latin American art, both in the UK and globally.
Additional funding also comes from Santander. Thanks to Ruffer's efforts, County Durham is now home to the UK's largest collection of Spanish paintings outside London. For earlier AHN on Ruffer's visionary plans, see here and here.
