A portrait of the much photographed but rarely painted John Maynard Keynes, arguably the greatest economist of the 20th Century, and indubitably a man whose influence strongly resonates down Whitehall's corridors today, has been saved for the nation and returned to its original home at Charleston in Sussex.

Portrait of John Maynard Keynes, painted by the influential and acclaimed artist Duncan Grant in 1917, reveals an extraordinary political and economic thinker who worked tirelessly for his country whilst at the same time championing the Modernist creative vision of a new generation of visual artists. These two sides of a complex personality is beautifully realised in Duncan Grant's masterly portrait of his sometime lover and lifelong friend.

With the generous support of The National Heritage Memorial Fund, The National Art Collections Fund, and the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, and the kind assistance of Christie's and the owner, The Charleston Trust has succeeded, in the space of 6 short and nail-biting weeks, in negotiating the return of this beautiful and important work to Charleston. The portrait had been kept by Duncan Grant at Charleston until it was sold to a European collector in 1956, and has never before been seen by the public.

Painted in the garden at the Bloomsbury group’s rural retreat at Charleston – a place where the group and their friends could paint, think and love as they chose – the portrait is purported to show Keynes, wearing a bright yellow and pink cap made by his friends at the avant-garde Omega Workshops, drafting the letter which would secure the crucial loan from America to safeguard Britain's wartime survival. Thus this portrait brings together the worlds of art and international politics, and bears testament, both as a great painting and as an historical document, that it is the small, quiet acts that so often have lasting impact on the world.

Charleston was Keynes sanctuary from the pressures of the Treasury until his marriage to the Russian Ballerina Lydia Lopokova in 1925, and it was here that he developed his controversial and influential economic theories and wrote The Economic Consequences of the Peace, Treaties on Probability and A Revision of the Treaty. It was at Charleston also that his love of art could be fully indulged, and where he found like-minded souls with which to discuss the progressive and exciting art of the Post-Impressionists.

And indeed, Portrait of John Maynard Keynes reveals the influence of such stylistic development on the painting of Duncan Grant. The figure of Keynes, sitting with a writing board across his knees, appears to form itself from the traditional Sussex flint wall behind him, locating him in his setting and transmitting the vigour and purpose in his work. The quality and sensitivity of the brushwork reveals Grant to be a master of his art, and translates the excitement of what was at the time a new style of painting to the contemporary viewer.

Charleston is thrilled to have saved this painting, and it will be on show to visitors when Charleston re-opens on 1st April 2006. Alastair Upton, Director of the Charleston Trust, said: "Portrait of John Maynard Keynes is quite simply a wonderful painting by an artist at the height of his powers that also tells an extremely powerful story. I am so pleased to be able to confirm that, thanks to the hard work of my staff and the generosity of our supporters, we will be able to hang it at Charleston for everyone to experience’.

Stephen Johnson, Head of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: ‘Like every item saved by the NHMF in the past 25 years, this striking picture is part of our shared inheritance. It joins a treasure trove of heritage that serves as a lasting reminder of the UK’s rich history and a poignant memorial to those who gave their lives for this country’.

David Barrie, Director, National Art Collections Fund commented: ‘Created at a turning point in British history, this is an iconic image by a great artist of one of the 20th century’s greatest economists. Charleston was instrumental in the life and work of both Keynes and Grant and we were delighted to assist in its return’.

The Charleston Trust would like to thank The National Heritage Memorial Fund, The National Art Collections Fund and the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund for their support.

Notes to Editors

Charleston
Charleston is a unique example of the decorative art and craft of the Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, and today stands in silent testament to some of the great artists, thinkers and writers of modern Britain. The Charleston Trust was formed in 1981 to acquire the house and garden, to conserve and restore them and, from 1986, to open them to the public. Today the Charleston Trust is committed to conserving the house for future generations and welcomes over 18,000 visitors from all over the world every year. The Trust has a commitment to working innovatively and with imagination, and has recently received a Sandford Award for Heritage Education for its schools’ programme. The Trust also uses the house as the inspiration and catalyst for an exciting and creative events programme, including two literary festivals every year.

National Art Collections Fund
The National Art Collections Fund (Art Fund) is the UK’s leading art charity and has 80,000 members.  Since its foundation in 1903, the Art Fund has helped UK public collections acquire over 850,000 works of art. In 2004 the Art Fund offered £4.3million to museums and galleries and distributed 11 gifts and bequests. The Art Fund is independent of government and raises money from membership subscriptions, donations and legacies. The Art Fund has led successful campaigns to save for the nation masterpieces such as Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, the Leonardo Cartoon and the Macclesfield Psalter.  

Further information

Sarah Philp, Charleston Press Officer:
Phone: 01323 811 626 Email: s.philp@charleston.org.uk