James Stourton graduated from Cambridge Art History Faculty in 1979 and joined Sotheby’s Old Master paintings department. Over the next thirty years he organised many famous sales and became Chairman of Sotheby’s UK in 2007.
Alongside his Sotheby’s career James developed an academic interest in Patronage and Collecting, publishing many articles for Apollo, Country Life, the Independent, the Spectator and The Times as well as lecturing to The Art Fund, Cambridge Art History Faculty and Sotheby’s Institute. He has published five books including ‘Great Collectors of Our Time: Art Collecting since 1945’; ‘The British as Art Collectors’ (with Charles Sebag-Montefiore) and ‘Great Houses of London’.
Today he sits on the Panel of the Heritage Memorial Fund and also the Acceptance in Lieu Panel.
WINNER OF THE CATHOLIC HERALD BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR ‘Richly detailed, colourful and astute and it moves at a cracking pace … a resplendent biography’ Sunday Times ‘Superb … Stourton, a former chairman of Southeby's, is the ideal choice for Clark's official biographer and has produced an accomplished book that is scholarly, entertaining, beautifully written and sympathetic, while far from uncritical’ The Times ‘Stourton has written a matchless biography. His evocation of his subtle, cool and brilliant subject gives an inspiring and even heroic sense of Clark…The book is a joyous read, with a dashing, stylish pace that disguises formidable but unpretentious erudition’, Richard Davenport-Hines, The Oldie ‘Stourton … has done this brilliantly, not only exploring [Clark's] gifts as author, lecturer, film-maker and champion of British art but also as public figure … this assiduous and accomplished biography will bring about a second Great Clark Boom’ Spectator ‘Astutely analyses Clark's emotional and intellectual contradictions’ Observer ‘Delightfully readable and authoritative’ Economist ‘Stourton writes with a blend of passion and coolness perfectly suited to his subject and produces a picture that should satisfy the most pernickety critic’, James Naughtie, Mail on Sunday ‘A lithe, elegant, astute celebration’, Richard Davenport-Hines, New Statesman ‘An elegant and perceptive portrayal of the ultimate arts grandee’, Michael Prodger, New Statesman ‘Outstanding … Stourton's great achievement is to make a unity of Clark's career … this exemplary biography combines Clark's strengths of clarity and concision with the quality he so painfully lacked, warmth’ Country Life ‘James Stourton leaves no stone unturned in Kenneth Clark, his magisterial and engrossing biography, which achieves a perfect balance between Clark’s complex private world and his hugely successful career’, Amanda Foreman
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