Collage Double Triptych 15/W

British

The Collection of William & Eleanor Wood Prince, Chicago, Illinois. Throughout much of the later 20th Century, William and Eleanor Wood Prince were well known philanthropists, art collectors and patrons in the overlapping cultural and artistic circles of Chicago. Born into an art-collecting family in Cincinnati, Ohio, the former Eleanor Edwards grew up surrounded by superb examples of Old Master Paintings, Impressionist and Modern Art, American pictures and other masterpieces from various categories. Following her marriage to William Wood Prince, the couple built upon this inherited foundation by purchase and commission. Joining their twin passions, many works betray an interest in French culture or all things equestrian. Perhaps unusually for the period, their taste was eclectic in the sense that their acquisitions not only built upon the inherited Edwards collection, but also explored the art of their time, resulting in the purchase of marvellous contemporary works by Louis le Brocquy, David Hockney and, most notably, Marc Chagall. The Wood Princes' long and close friendship with Chagall resulted in a monumental mural in downtown Chicago, a gift to the city that endures as a tangible testament to both their appreciation for the avant garde and their great fondness for the Second City. Other local institutions that benefited from their interest and support included The Art Institute of Chicago, the Lyric Opera, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Alliance Française. New London Gallery, London. Marlborough Fine Art, London.