Tancred Borenius
| Tancred Borenius | |
|---|---|
Tancred Borenius.
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| Born |
July 14, 1885 Vyborg, Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Died | September 2, 1948 (aged 63) Coombe Bisset, England |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
| Occupation | Art historian, Diplomat |
| Spouse(s) | Anne-Marie Runeberg |
| Children | Peter Borenius |
| Parent(s) | Carl Borenius & Olga Borenius |
Carl Tancred Borenius (July 14, 1885, Vyborg – September 2, 1948, Coombe Bisset) was a Finnish art historian working in England, who became the first professor of the history of art at University College London. He was a prolific author and recognised as one of the world's leading experts on Italian art of the early Renaissance.
Borenius also served as a diplomat liaising between Finland and Britain. It has been claimed that during World War II Borenius worked as a spy for the British government and was instrumental in enticing Rudolf Hess to fly to Britain in 1941.
Borenius was the son of Finnish businessman and politician Carl Borenius. He studied at Helsinki and in Italy. He received his Ph.D. from Helsinki University in 1909, after which he moved to London. His first book was a version of his doctoral dissertation, Painters of Vincenza (1909). He married Anne-Marie Runeberg, a granddaughter of the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg.
Borenius soon met Roger Fry, to whom he became close. Fry introduced him to the art circles in Britain, and he became associated with the Bloomsbury group. Borenius was appointed in 1914 as a lecturer at University College London after Fry left. In 1921, he prepared a catalogue of the Northwick Park collection. After Henry Tonks had established the Edwin Durning-Lawrence chair in art history at the university Borenius was appointed its first professor in 1922. In 1933 he became director of the excavations of Clarendon Palace near Salisbury, where he continued to dig regularly until 1939.
Though initially a specialist on Italian art, Borenius became increasingly interested in the art of his adopted country. His opinion on art was highly valued, and he worked as a consultant at Sotheby's. He was also an advisor to the Earl of Harewood's art collection.
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