Charles Rutherston & The Rutherston Loan Collection

2025 will be the centenary of the gift from Charles Rutherston in 1925 to Manchester City Art Gallery (“MCAG”) now Manchester Art Gallery (“MAG”).

Rutherston (1866-1927) was not an artist, but a retired Bradford-based textile businessman and philanthropist with a passionate love of art both as a collector and a generous friend and patron to artists.

Perhaps you know his two famous artist brothers, Sir William Rothenstein and Albert Rutherston? In contrast Charles Rutherston despite his generosity and educational vision was modest and shunned the limelight.

Rutherston was passionate about collecting all kinds of art and supporting British artists. He used his business skills, had a network of artists who were friends and offered them his patronage. In fact, he was so supportive they often sold or gave him their best work.

1953.36 low .jpg — Charles L Rutherston (1918)

by William Rothenstein
credit: Manchester City Galleries

His gift, the Rutherston Collection, was given with certain conditions. He was aware of the lack of aesthetic and educational stimulation for the masses in 1925 and he had a social conscience. He primarily hoped to provide an inspiring loan collection across Manchester, Yorkshire and Lancashire for educational purposes and to encourage other bequests from other donors.

Rutherston gave MCAG his collection because he was friends with the then director, Lawrence Haward and was also impressed by Manchester’s reputation for being “public spirited”. Haward was quoted in the Manchester Guardian:

“This is no hoard of miscellaneous pictured gathered casually by a rich man. Mr Rutherston is a man of sound judgment and the finest perceptions, and has carefully, and with the greatest discrimination, built up what art-lovers in this country have long recognised to be the very best private collection of modern English art in the country. These pictures – oil and water – and these statues are some of the finest examples of these artists at their very best.”

In summary his initial gift to MCAG in 1925 were contemporary cutting edge British artists of the day. That is the best art from the best British artists in the early twentieth century. For example:

50 oil paintings.Charles Conder, Augustus John, Gwen John, John Nash, Paul Nash, Lucien Pissaro
over 400 water colours... Henry Lamb, Wyndham Lewis, Eric Gill, Albert Rutherston, Will Rothenstein
over 100 prints... Eric Gill, John Nash
about a dozen sculptures… Jacob Epstein, stone carvings by Eric Gill
Rutherston in his speech at the launch of his collection at MCAG on 15 July 1926 said that [Art should be]”…accessible to all who desire to enjoy them. It seems to me that a possessor of works of Art is a trustee to the public and is not entitled to be so selfish as to keep them to himself.”

And Rutherston didn’t keep his collection to himself. By giving his gift with conditions it was shared and used widely.

There were additional acquisitions and bequests over the years too. The educational project expanded far beyond Manchester, Yorkshire and Lancashire such was the lure and popularity of this cutting edge collection. It was an innovative and educationally transformative scheme.

For over fifty years children and other educational organisations had the opportunity to have “the very best British” original art-works and then later reproductions to enhance their art education in what was an ambitious and inspirational project.

MAG currently has on display various oil paintings from the Rutherston Loan Collection around the gallery.

The Mirror by Walter Richard Sickert
credit: Manchester City Galleries
On display currently in the Balcony Gallery
Self-Portrait (1895-1900) by Charles Conder
credit: Manchester City Galleries
On display currently in the Balcony Gallery
The Letter title : The Convalescent (1924) by Gwen John
credit: Manchester City Galleries
On display currently in the Balcony Gallery