Sir William Agnew, 1st Baronet
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Jane Garnet Lockett
William Agnew, 1st Baronet | |
|---|---|
 Agnew in 1880 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 December 1825 |
| Died | 31 October 1910 (aged 84) |
| Spouse |
Mary Kenworthy (m. 1851) |
| Parent(s) | Thomas Agnew Jane Garnet Lockett |
Sir William Agnew, 1st Baronet (20 October 1825 – 31 October 1910) was an English politician and prominent art dealer who was said to have dominated the British market for 30 years.[1][2] Thomas Agnew & Sons, his London art business in Mayfair, flourished as one of the leading art dealerships in London from 1860, until it closed in April 2013, still with the family and known as "Agnew's Gallery", or more informally "Agnew's".[3] On being created baronet in 1895, he was described as "the greatest art publisher and dealer in England".[4]
In the middle of the 1860s, Agnew and his brother Thomas provided much needed financial backing to the publishing firm Bradbury and Evans, becoming partners in the business.[5] Agnew became a Liberal member of parliament, first for South East Lancashire between 1880 and 1885 and later for Stretford from 1885 to 1886. He was created a baronet, of Great Stanhope Street, London, in 1895.[6]
He bought the Rougham estates in Suffolk, England, in 1904.[6]
Art
Agnew was a prominent art dealer who amassed a large collection through his business. By 1887 it was said that, "no one could have secured so complete a collection of British Art".[4] He had offices in London, Manchester and Liverpool and was aided by his sons and nephew.[4] He sold works to and helped form the great private art collections of the age, including those of Henry Tate and Lord Iveagh.[1][2] He also promoted many leading painters and dominated the art market for thirty years.[1][2]
