Hugh Blaker

Who was Hugh Blaker?

Hugh Blaker was an English artist, collector, connoisseur, dealer in Old Masters, museum curator, writer on art and a staunch supporter and promoter of modern British and French painters. A true 'modern', his contribution to the course of art history in Britain during the first half of the twentieth century has gone largely unrecognised.

Hugh Oswald Blaker was born on 13 December 1873 at 31 Marine Parade, Worthing, Sussex. Both his parents were originally from Worthing - master builder Robert Charles Blaker and Jane Rosalie Redstone. Following Robert's death, Jane married John Richard Eyre in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Teddington on 27 August 1898.

Blaker's 1910 collection of essays on social problems of the day, Points for Posterity, paints a detailed portrait of its author: a free thinker, open minded, opinionated, cynical, reactionary, critical and a socialist. The book - which in its manuscript form is titled Hints for Historians - opens: ‘There is no greater proof of stupidity than to be in love with your generation. Strong men are in love with the future and its manifold possibilities.’

Blaker is best known nowadays as advisor to the sisters Gwendoline and Margaret Davies of Llandinam in the formation of their internationally renowned collection of French nineteenth century painting and sculpture which they bequeathed to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff.