Two major philanthropic organisations on either side of the Atlantic—the Los Angeles-based Getty Foundation and the UK charity, the Rothschild Foundation—have announced a new joint, annual fellowship which, say the founders, “will support innovative scholarship in the history of art, collecting, and conservation, using the collection and resources of both institutions”.
The first recipient of the Getty Rothchild Fellowship is David Saunders, "a foremost expert in the area of conservation science," formerly of the National Gallery and the British Museum, who plans to use his time under the fellowship, to focus on museum and gallery lighting. Saunders will study at the Getty in Los Angeles from January to March next year, and at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, from April to June.
"The Getty and the Rothschild Foundation hold similar values regarding the understanding and conservation of visual art around the world, and it is only appropriate that we would work together to support individuals who demonstrate these values through their research,” says Jim Cuno, the president and chief executive of the J. Paul Getty Trust, in a statement.
Lord Rothschild says he is thrilled with the selection of Dr Saunders as the first Getty Rothschild Fellow, since his "work is of the greatest possible relevance to Waddesdon, as a historic house seeking to present itself in innovative ways".