CONFRONTING NIGHTMARES: RESPONDING TO ICONOCLASM IN WESTERN MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES VOLUME 1: TEXT Helen E. Scott A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2009 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/788 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence Confronting Nightmares: Responding to Iconoclasm in Western Museums and Art Galleries Volume I: Text Helen E. Scott University of St Andrews Ph.D. Thesis 2009 Declarations I, Helen Elizabeth Scott, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 80,000 words in length, has been written by me, that it is the record of work carried out by me and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2005 and as a candidate for the degree of Ph.D. in March 2006; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2005 and 2009. Date ………………… Signature of candidate …………………………………. I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of Ph.D. in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date ………………… Signature of supervisor ………………………………… In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews we understand that we are giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. We also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. We have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the electronic publication of this thesis: Access to all of printed copy but embargo of all of electronic publication of thesis for a period of five years (maximum five) on the following ground: publication would preclude future publication. Date ………………… Signature of candidate …………………………………. Date ………………… Signature of supervisor ………………………………… Abstract It is not an everyday event for an artwork in a museum or gallery to be harmed deliberately by a member of the public. Such acts of iconoclasm do occur more regularly than many people might assume though, and when attacks take place the repercussions can be serious. This thesis examines the ways in which cultural institutions react to this phenomenon, investigating how responses could be improved to tackle it more effectively. The first chapter establishes the context to the discussion by categorising and rationalising the various motives behind iconoclastic crimes. The next chapter concentrates on historical trends of response, using the case of the suffragette iconoclasts to illuminate reactions from across society, before assessing the effects of their endurance. The third chapter broaches new ground in the field of prevention by exploring the access and education approach: a means of forestalling destructive compulsions among the public by promoting engagement with cultural institutions and works of art. The fourth chapter looks at security enhancement: the more traditional answer to iconoclastic offences. It evaluates the options open to museums from a defensive standpoint, but it also discusses the wider impact of implementation on accessibility. The final chapter presents the findings of a postal survey of 250 British museums and galleries undertaken in 2006. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the current nature and extent of the problem, and to determine how contemporary museum professionals deal with it. Although some cultural institutions respond to iconoclasm with considered, sustainable and effective tactics, others would be wise to revise their conduct. This thesis concludes that while instances of iconoclasm will never be eradicated from galleries completely, the threat could be curbed significantly if the museum sector was to make a concerted effort to study its own responses and introduce necessary changes. Contents: Volume I Acknowledgements i List of Plates ii List of Figures ix Introduction 1 Chapter One: “Wholly uninteresting”: The Motives behind Acts of Iconoclasm 21 Chapter Two: “Their campaign of wanton attacks”: Suffragette Iconoclasm and Trends of Response 81 Chapter Three: Engaging with the Enemy: Responding to Iconoclasm through Access and Education 128 Chapter Four: “Glass-cased fortresses”: Responding to Iconoclasm through Security Enhancement 175 Chapter Five: Responding to Art Vandalism in British Museums and Galleries: A Survey of the Current Situation 226 Conclusion 254 Bibliography 269 i Acknowledgements This research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Before all else, I would like to express my gratitude for the financial support and other resources that this organisation provided. Iconoclasm is a sensitive topic in the museum sector. It is a theme that staff often choose to keep quiet about, opting not to discuss it outwith the confines of their own institutions. For this reason I am especially grateful to those museum and gallery professionals who shared their experiences, opinions and expertise with me during the preparation of this thesis. Some requested that they should remain anonymous, and they have been thanked privately. But it seems fitting to acknowledge the others here. My most sincere thanks go to the following individuals: Louise Anderson, Hildegarde Berwick, Alison Bevan, William Brown, Jon Campbell, Simon Cane, Leslie Carlyle, Nicola Christie, Alan Crookham, Lorri Dunwoody, Patrick Elliot, Jan Evans, Oliver Fairclough, Judith Gowland, Mary Griffiths, Richard Hawkes, Meera Hindocha, Sam Howard, Charlotte Hubbard, Mark Janzen, Vincent Kelly, Samantha Lackey, Michael Langston, Kathryn Legg, Nancy Loader, Alfred Longhurst, Josephine Lyons, Paul Nicoll, Roy Perry, Derek Pullen, Richard Rogers, Liz Rose, Lucia Scalisi, Michael Simpson, Penelope M. Smith, Martyn Sodergren, Lesley Stevenson, Janet Tamblin, Carolyn T. Thum, Bruce Tozer, David Trevivian, Mark Trodd, Nicola Waghorn, Leeanne Westwood, Julian Whitehead and Martin Wyld. In a similar vein, I would also like to thank all of the institutions that took part in the survey Responding to Art Vandalism in British Museums and Galleries; the strong response rate was extremely encouraging. A significant part of my research consisted of bibliographic and archival study, and many librarians and archivists were very generous in their assistance. I would like to thank staff at the British Library, the National Art Library, the National Gallery Archive, the National Library of Scotland and the University of St Andrews Library. The School of Art History at the University of St Andrews provided a constant stream of encouragement and support throughout my research. I am extremely grateful to my supervisor Ann Gunn for her advice, enthusiasm, and flexibility. Special thanks must also go to Natalie Adamson, Ian Carradice, Annette Carruthers, Margaret Hall, Jeremy Howard, Christina Lodder, Helen Rawson and Dawn Waddell. Ultimately, I am indebted to the circle of friends and family who have stood by me over the last few years. I would like to thank Nicola Armstrong, Chris Miller and Clancy Smith for their companionship, advice and comforting words. And my final thanks go to Ian, Elizabeth, Rob and David Scott, whose support, patience and unwavering belief in my undertaking have been invaluable. ii List of Plates Plate 1 – Leonardo, The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist, 1499- 1500, Chalk on Paper, 141.5 x 104.6cm, National Gallery, London Plate 2 – Pierre-Gabriel Berthault after Jean Louis le Jeune Prieur, Les Tableaux historiques de la Révolution Français: Statue de Louis XIV Abatue, Place des Victoires, Les 11, 12, 13 Aoust 1792, 1796, Engraving on Paper, 20 x 25.7cm, Musée Carnavalet, Paris Plate 3 – Rembrandt, Nightwatch, 1642, Oil on Canvas, 363 x 437cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Plate 4 – Rembrandt, Nightwatch, 1642, Oil on Canvas, 363 x 437cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, (Detail of damage caused by Wilhelm Arie de Rijk, 14th September 1975, Black and White Photograph) Plate 5 – Martin Creed, Work 227: The Lights Going On and Off, 2000, Installation, Variable Dimensions, Tate, London Plate 6 – Rembrandt, Self Portrait, 1654, Oil on Canvas, 72 x 58.5cm, Gemäldegalerie, Kassel, (Damage caused by Hans-Joachim Böhlmann, October 1977, Black and White Photograph) Plate 7 – Peter Doig, Blotter, 1993, Oil on Canvas, 249 x 199cm, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Plate 8 – Helen Frankenthaler, The Bay, 1963, Acrylic on Canvas, 205 x 208cm, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Plate 9 – Leonardo, The Virgin and Child with St Anne and St John the Baptist, 1499- 1500, Chalk on Paper, 141.5 x 104.6cm, National