Julian Radcliffe

He was educated at Eton, and New College, Oxford, and graduated with a degree in politics and economics.^[1][2]

In 1970, Radcliffe joined Hogg Robinson, as a Lloyd's of London insurance broker.^[2] He claims that in 1975, he was one of the co-founders of Control Risks, then a Hogg Robinson subsidiary, with Timothy Royle.^[2][3] However, he does not appear in any company literature regarding the founding process and was likely just an early minority shareholder.^[4] In 1990, he founded the Art Loss Register. ("ALR") ^[2]

Radcliffe is the majority shareholder in the Art Loss Register, with auction houses Sotheby's (a/k/a Oatshare Ltd.) owning about 11%, Christie's about 3%.^[5] In 1991, The International Foundation for Art Research, based in New York City, NY (USA) helped create the Art Loss Register (ALR) as a commercial enterprise to expand and market the database. IFAR managed ALR's U.S. operations through 1997. In 1998 the ALR assumed full responsibility for the IFAR database although IFAR retains ownership^[6]

While widely recognised for its contributions to art recovery, the ALR has faced occasional scrutiny over its negotiations with the holders of lost art.^[7] However, Shortland’s detailed analysis emphasises that these negotiations are legal, ethical, and necessary to ensure rightful restitution while preventing criminals from profiting.^[8]

As of 2016, the Art Loss Register claims to be the world's largest private database of lost and stolen art, with more than 300,000 items.^[9]

Radcliffe was awarded an OBE in 1999 and the QVRM in 2004^[2] for activities unrelated to his work at the Art Loss Register.

Radcliffe lives near Much Wenlock, Shropshire.^[10]

Radcliffe's favourite painting is A Cornfield, 1815, by Peter De Wint, in the collection of the V&A, London.^[11]