The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art is a museum in

Canonbury Square Canonbury Square is a garden square in Canonbury, North London. It is bounded by Terraced houses in the United Kingdom, terraces of mostly Georgian architecture, Georgian houses, many of which are listed buildings. The central public gardens con ...

in the district of

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

on the northern fringes of central London. It is the United Kingdom's only gallery devoted to modern Italian art and is a

registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

under English law. The Estorick Collection was founded by the American sociologist and writer

Eric Estorick Eric Estorick (13 February 1913 – 25 December 1993) was an American art collector, art dealer and author, who lived in London and ran the Grosvenor Gallery. He and his wife Salome endowed the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in Canonb ...

(1913–1993), who began to collect art when he moved to England after the Second World War. Estorick and his

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

-born English wife Salome (1920–1989) discovered

Umberto Boccioni Umberto Boccioni (, ; 19 October 1882 – 17 August 1916) was an influential Italian painter and sculptor. He helped shape the revolutionary aesthetic of the Futurism movement as one of its principal figures. Despite his short life, his approach ...

’s book ''Futurist Painting and Sculpture'' (1914) while they were on their honeymoon in 1947. Before the end of their trip they visited the erstwhile Futurist Mario Sironi in Milan and bought most of the contents of his studio, including hundreds of drawings. They built up the collection mainly between 1953 and 1958. The collection was shown in several temporary exhibitions, including one at the Tate Gallery in London in 1956, and the key works were on long-term loan to the Tate from 1966 to 1975. The Estoricks rejected offers to purchase their collection from the Italian government and museums in the United States and Israel. Six months prior to his death Eric Estorick set up the Eric and Salome Estorick Foundation, to which he donated all his Italian works. The Estorick Collection moved to its current premises in Northampton Lodge, previously the home and office of Sir Basil Spence, the British architect, a converted

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

-listed Georgian house, in 1998. The project was supported by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The core of the collection is its Futurist works, but it also includes figurative art and sculpture dating from 1890 to the 1950s. It features paintings by Futurism's main protagonists: Giacomo Balla,

Carlo Carrà Carlo Carrà (; February 11, 1881 – April 13, 1966) was an Italian painter and a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number ...

, Gino Severini, Luigi Russolo and

Ardengo Soffici Ardengo Soffici (7 April 1879 – 19 August 1964) was an Italian writer, painter, poet, sculptor and intellectual. Early life Soffici was born in Rignano sull'Arno, near Florence. In 1893 his family moved to the latter city, where he studi ...

, and works by Giorgio de Chirico,

Amedeo Modigliani Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (, ; 12 July 1884 – 24 January 1920) was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. He is known for portraits and nudes in a modern style characterized by a surreal elongation of faces, necks, and ...

, Giorgio Morandi, Mario Sironi and Marino Marini. In addition to the main displays from the permanent collection, the Estorick Collection organises temporary exhibitions.

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* * * * * {{authority control Art museums and galleries established in 1998 Art museums and galleries in London Modern art museums Museums in the London Borough of Islington 1998 establishments in England Charities based in England Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Islington