Museums Of Modern Art

The Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, located in Islington’s beautiful Canonbury Square in the district of Islington on the northern fringes of central London is a unique and elegant venue for corporate and private entertaining. Conveniently situated within 5 minutes walk from Highbury and Islington Underground station, and only 10 minutes by taxi from the City, it has been described as a "hidden jewel". It is the United Kingdom's only gallery devoted to modern Italian art.

The Estorick Collection was established by American sociologist and writer Eric Estorick (1913-93), who began to collect works of art when he came to live in England after the Second World War. Estorick and his German-born English wife Salome (1920-1989) discovered Umberto Boccioni’s book Futurist Painting and Sculpture (1914) while they were on their honeymoon in 1947. Before the end of their trip they visited 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 new home, current premises in Northumberland Lodge, a converted Grade II-listed Georgian house, in 1998. Building was restored with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and contains six galleries, an art library, cafe and bookshop.

The focal point 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, Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Gino Severini, Luigi Russolo and Ardengo Soffici, works by Giorgio de Chirico, Amedeo Modigliani, Giorgio Morandi, Mario Sironi and Marino Marini, and a number of paintings and sculptures by contemporary English artists including Edward Dutkiewicz. In addition to the main displays from the permanent collection, the Estorick Gallery organises temporary exhibitions, both in its own galleries, and on tour.

The Estorick featureы six stylish galleries on three floors of an creatively restored Georgian villa. The gallery contains a world-renowned collection of Futurist paintings and figurative art and sculpture from 1895 to the 1950s and stages innovative temporary exhibitions. In addition to the versatile gallery spaces the Estorick has an attractive landscaped garden, ideal for entertaining in the summer. The Estorick Collection can also offer exclusive curator-led talks, which can offer your guests an unique presentation to the works of art on display.