![\"John](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/7\/2023\/07\/John-Chu-at-Powis-Castle-pic-1-credit-National-Trust-73cb9b1-e1691507337332.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C412\" "\\"John")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>With over 13,500 oil paintings in National Trust<\/a> collections across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, not to mention all our sculpture, prints and drawings, there\u2019s a lot to keep me busy. At any given time, I might be giving a public talk on a painting, valuing a statue, making conservation decisions or initiating a research project. This year has been especially exciting. In September we\u2019re publishing a book illustrating 100 of the National Trust\u2019s best paintings \u2013 from medieval times to the 20th century. It was really hard work to arrive at the final selection \u2013 we could have included at least four times as many in the book.<\/p>\n The paintings that are closest to my heart are often the ones that I have had a hand in acquiring. There might be a perception out there that historic houses and their contents are unchanged and unchanging. Part of my job is to identify artworks that left sites before they came under the care of the National Trust. It\u2019s up to me to make the case for bringing them back. Early into my time at the National Trust, we fundraised to secure a beautiful portrait by Thomas Gainsborough for Knole in Kent. It depicts the Marquis de Champcenetz, a French aristocrat who fled to England during the French Revolution<\/a> and found refuge at the house. I love the sensitivity of the likeness, but also the resonance of its story of homes lost and found. These acquisitions provide permanent public access to fantastic works of art \u2013 which is great in itself \u2013 but they also provide a new perspective on National Trust sites. I was lucky enough to curate exhibitions at Osterley Park in west London and Powis Castle in Powys, to celebrate the purchases of Carlo Dolci\u2019s Saint Agatha and Isaac Oliver\u2019s superb miniature of Lord Herbert of Cherbury. We redisplayed whole sections of each house around these acquisitions. You get really intimately acquainted with works of art through that process.<\/p>\n The art of the past resonates in so many ways with people\u2019s present-day experience. Among the pictures cared for by National Trust, there really is something for everyone to connect with. Many people find solace in the beauty and creativity they find in works of artists like Rembrandt, JMW Turner and Barbara Hepworth. Others might be intrigued by the parallels between a historical portrait sitter like Lord Herbert, brazenly promoting his looks and courtly talents, and a contemporary social media influencer manipulating their online image. Then there\u2019s the emotional and spiritual potential of art. Dolci, for example, shows the martyr Saint Agatha in the midst of her torture by the Romans. The picture invites us to contemplate the cruelties of religious persecution and empathise with the suffering of one willing to stand against it.\u00a0It\u2019s hard to imagine anything more profound.<\/p>\n Be tenacious, but remain open to new ideas and be curious about different points of view. There\u2019s no substitute for scholarship and deep knowledge \u2013 so work hard on that \u2013 but bear in mind that it won\u2019t count for much if you can\u2019t make your subject meaningful for others.<\/p>\nDo you have any favourite paintings or sculptures you can talk about?<\/h3>\n
Why do you believe that artwork from the past is still relevant today?<\/h3>\n
What advice would you give to aspiring curators?<\/h3>\n