Jane, Lady Abdy (born Jane Noble) (24 May 1934 – 22 December 2015) was an English socialite and art dealer. She has been described as one of the most original and respected art dealers of her generation and opened British eyes to 19th-century French art.[1] She is also credited for introducing many now revered 19th-century Danish artists to the international market.[2]
She was born on 24 May 1934 in Leicester,[1][2] the daughter of Dr John Henry Noble and his wife, Grace, of 119 Loughborough Road. She was educated at Wycombe Abbey in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. At Wycombe Abbey she became friends with the Shand sisters – Elspeth, later Baroness Howe of Idlicote, and Mary, who later married the architect James Stirling.[1] Lady Abdy later went up to Somerville College, Oxford, where she read English and graduated in 1955.[3]
After her graduation from Somerville, she went to work in London as an assistant selling Old Master paintings. It was there where she met Sir Robert "Bertie" Abdy, 5th baronet,[3] an art dealer whose vast fortune derived from the family's ownership of large parts of London Docklands. They married on 5 September 1962 when she was 28 and he was 66. Earlier that year, he had divorced his second wife, Lady Diana Bridgeman, who had suffered brain damage after a car crash in 1956. The couple lived in a duplex flat at 55 Eaton Square and at Newton Ferrers, a 17th-century country house in St Mellion, Cornwall, that Abdy had acquired in 1936 and then renovated in the Art Deco taste.[1]
If Jane might have preferred to live in the Belle Epoque rather than the late 20th century, this would have been of no concern to her, since she chose her homes, her pictures, her clothes, her jewellery and her friends with equal care.
She staged exhibitions from the late 1960s through the 1970s with her husband at the tiny Ferrers Gallery in Piccadilly Arcade. During those years she was especially interested in the paintings and prints of James Tissot and Paul César Helleu. She was one of the first art dealers in modern times to appreciate the portraits of Jacques-Émile Blanche and Giovanni Boldini and also promoted the cat studies by Théophile Steinlen and innovative colour posters of Jules Chéret. With the help of Jeremy Maas and Christopher Wood, she was responsible for the modern revival of interest in the painter John Atkinson Grimshaw.[2][1] The Abdys divorced in 1972, but she continued to look after him until his death in 1976.[1][3]
At the end of the 1970s, in partnership with Anne Heseltine, Lady Abdy formed the Bury Street Gallery in St James's. She entertained in her terraced house opposite Noël Coward's in Gerald Road, Belgravia, where her drawing room was dominated by Winterhalter’s near life-size portrait of Princess Alexandra of Saxe-Altenburg. Around this time her friend James Reeve painted a full-length portrait of Lady Abdy in the Mexican jungle.[1] In the 1980s Heseltine left the gallery and Lady Abdy turned her attention to 19th-century Danish paintings and prints. She exhibited works by Vilhelm Hammershøi,[2]Christen Købke and Peter Ilsted. She also worked as a bidding agent for a member of the Saudi royal family.[1]
As well as producing exhibition catalogues, Lady Abdy co-authored The Souls (1984, with Charlotte Gere) which profiled the members of the late-19th century elite social group of that name.[4]
Later lifeedit
In 1990 she moved to 8 Pelham Place where she stayed for the rest of her life.[3] 8 Pelham Place is famous as the London home of her friend Cecil Beaton from 1940 to 1975, where in 1967 he photographed the model Twiggy wearing a yellow velvet dress[5] for an editorial for Vogue.[6]
Jane died at the age of 81, on 22 December 2015, at her home in Pelham Place.[1] Her collection of art went on sale by Sotheby's in an online auction, called La Belle Epoque: 19th & 20th Century Pictures.[3] A remembrance by the writer Hugo Vickers calls her "Belle of the London Art World".[3]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghij"Jane, Lady Abdy - obituary". The Telegraph. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
^ abcd"Jane, Lady Abdy". The Times. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
^ abcdefgHugo Vickers (28 November 2016). "Jane, Lady Abdy – Belle of the London Art World". Sotheby's. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
^Abdy, Jane; Gere, Charlotte (1984). The Souls. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN978-0-283-99062-5. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
^"ALO Photography". ALO Photography. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
jane, lady, abdy, born, jane, noble, 1934, december, 2015, english, socialite, dealer, been, described, most, original, respected, dealers, generation, opened, british, eyes, 19th, century, french, also, credited, introducing, many, revered, 19th, century, dan. Jane Lady Abdy born Jane Noble 24 May 1934 22 December 2015 was an English socialite and art dealer She has been described as one of the most original and respected art dealers of her generation and opened British eyes to 19th century French art 1 She is also credited for introducing many now revered 19th century Danish artists to the international market 2 Jane Lady AbdyBornJane Noble 1934 05 24 24 May 1934Leicester EnglandDied22 December 2015 2015 12 22 aged 81 Pelham Place London EnglandNationalityBritishEducationSomerville College OxfordOccupation s Art dealer and socialiteSpouseSir Robert Abdy 5th Baronet m 1962 div 1972 wbr Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Later life 4 ReferencesEarly life editShe was born on 24 May 1934 in Leicester 1 2 the daughter of Dr John Henry Noble and his wife Grace of 119 Loughborough Road She was educated at Wycombe Abbey in High Wycombe Buckinghamshire At Wycombe Abbey she became friends with the Shand sisters Elspeth later Baroness Howe of Idlicote and Mary who later married the architect James Stirling 1 Lady Abdy later went up to Somerville College Oxford where she read English and graduated in 1955 3 After her graduation from Somerville she went to work in London as an assistant selling Old Master paintings It was there where she met Sir Robert Bertie Abdy 5th baronet 3 an art dealer whose vast fortune derived from the family s ownership of large parts of London Docklands They married on 5 September 1962 when she was 28 and he was 66 Earlier that year he had divorced his second wife Lady Diana Bridgeman who had suffered brain damage after a car crash in 1956 The couple lived in a duplex flat at 55 Eaton Square and at Newton Ferrers a 17th century country house in St Mellion Cornwall that Abdy had acquired in 1936 and then renovated in the Art Deco taste 1 Career editLady Abdy was a bluestocking and read voraciously in French and English Her friends included Cecil Beaton Kenneth Clark and Diana Mitford 1 Hugo Vickers a writer broadcaster and close friend of Lady Abdy notes that she was particularly keen on the Belle Epoque If Jane might have preferred to live in the Belle Epoque rather than the late 20th century this would have been of no concern to her since she chose her homes her pictures her clothes her jewellery and her friends with equal care Hugo Vickers 2016 3 She staged exhibitions from the late 1960s through the 1970s with her husband at the tiny Ferrers Gallery in Piccadilly Arcade During those years she was especially interested in the paintings and prints of James Tissot and Paul Cesar Helleu She was one of the first art dealers in modern times to appreciate the portraits of Jacques Emile Blanche and Giovanni Boldini and also promoted the cat studies by Theophile Steinlen and innovative colour posters of Jules Cheret With the help of Jeremy Maas and Christopher Wood she was responsible for the modern revival of interest in the painter John Atkinson Grimshaw 2 1 The Abdys divorced in 1972 but she continued to look after him until his death in 1976 1 3 At the end of the 1970s in partnership with Anne Heseltine Lady Abdy formed the Bury Street Gallery in St James s She entertained in her terraced house opposite Noel Coward s in Gerald Road Belgravia where her drawing room was dominated by Winterhalter s near life size portrait of Princess Alexandra of Saxe Altenburg Around this time her friend James Reeve painted a full length portrait of Lady Abdy in the Mexican jungle 1 In the 1980s Heseltine left the gallery and Lady Abdy turned her attention to 19th century Danish paintings and prints She exhibited works by Vilhelm Hammershoi 2 Christen Kobke and Peter Ilsted She also worked as a bidding agent for a member of the Saudi royal family 1 As well as producing exhibition catalogues Lady Abdy co authored The Souls 1984 with Charlotte Gere which profiled the members of the late 19th century elite social group of that name 4 Later life editIn 1990 she moved to 8 Pelham Place where she stayed for the rest of her life 3 8 Pelham Place is famous as the London home of her friend Cecil Beaton from 1940 to 1975 where in 1967 he photographed the model Twiggy wearing a yellow velvet dress 5 for an editorial for Vogue 6 Jane died at the age of 81 on 22 December 2015 at her home in Pelham Place 1 Her collection of art went on sale by Sotheby s in an online auction called La Belle Epoque 19th amp 20th Century Pictures 3 A remembrance by the writer Hugo Vickers calls her Belle of the London Art World 3 References edit a b c d e f g h i j Jane Lady Abdy obituary The Telegraph 12 January 2016 Retrieved 3 April 2020 a b c d Jane Lady Abdy The Times 28 January 2016 Retrieved 3 April 2020 a b c d e f g Hugo Vickers 28 November 2016 Jane Lady Abdy Belle of the London Art World Sotheby s Retrieved 3 April 2020 Abdy Jane Gere Charlotte 1984 The Souls Sidgwick amp Jackson ISBN 978 0 283 99062 5 Retrieved 6 June 2022 ALO Photography ALO Photography Retrieved 3 April 2020 Cecil Beaton Portraits exhibition National Portrait Gallery Retrieved 3 April 2020 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jane Lady Abdy amp oldid 1189629498, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
