It is with very great sadness that we announce the death of our friend and colleague Andrew Adcock, who passed away on Saturday, 26 January 2019 after a long illness. Both in his role as Trustee and then Chairman of the Samuel Courtauld Trust and as Governor of The Courtauld’s Governing Board, Andrew made a huge contribution to The Courtauld as a whole.
Having studied law and the history of art at the University of Cambridge, Andrew went on to a successful career of over 30 years in the City of London. Art and history remained strong personal interests and in 2008 he became a trustee of the Samuel Courtauld Trust, the body which owns the great art collection in The Courtauld’s care. In 2013 Andrew succeeded the Hon Christopher McLaren as its Chairman.
Andrew was an outstanding Chairman of the Samuel Courtauld Trust, setting out a vision for its active contribution to The Courtauld and its wider social role. He was deeply committed to the public purposes of the collection, believing that it should be shared generously throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. He supported many major loan projects, including The Courtauld’s current regional partnerships and our forthcoming exhibitions in Paris and Japan. He also championed the development of the collection, with a strategic focus on 20th century art. Important works by Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud, Jaspers Johns and Richard Serra were acquired, together with such far-sighted acquisitions as a major group of drawings and watercolours by the Vorticist artist Helen Saunders. Alongside his inspiring stewardship of the Samuel Courtauld Trust, Andrew was immensely supportive of the work of our Gallery, where his wisdom and kindness were very closely felt. Andrew is survived by his wife and three children.
We shall treasure many happy memories of him and will miss him tremendously.