Tancred Borenius
Encyclopedia
Carl Tancred Borenius was a Finnish art historian working in England, who became the first professor of the history of art at University College London
. He was a prolific author and recognised as one of the world's leading experts on Italian art of the early Renaissance.
Borenius also served as a diplomat liaising between Finland and Britain. It has been claimed that during World War II
Borenius worked as a spy for the British government and was instrumental in enticing Rudolf Hess
to fly to Britain in 1941.
in 1909, after which he moved to London. His first book was a version of his doctoral dissertation, Painters of Vincenza (1909). He married Anne-Marie Rüneberg, a granddaughter of the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
.
Borenius soon met Roger Fry
, to whom he became close. Fry introduced him to the art circles in Britain, and he became associated with the Bloomsbury group
. Borenius was appointed in 1914 as a lecturer at University College London
after Fry left. After Henry Tonks
had established the Edwin Durning-Lawrence
chair in art history at the university Borenius was appointed its first professor in 1922. In 1933 he became director of the excavations of Clarendon Palace
near Salisbury, where he continued to dig regularly until 1939.
Though initially a specialist on Italian art, Borenius became increasingly interested in the art of his adopted country. His opinion on art was highly valued, and he worked as a consultant at Sotheby's
. He was also an advisor to the Earl of Harewood's art collection.
He helped to found the art magazine Apollo
in 1925, and became one of its most active contributors. He was also actively involved with the Burlington Magazine, of which he became managing editor during World War II
from 1940 to 1945.
He wrote numerous books on art, including English Primitives (1924), The Iconography of St. Thomas of Canterbury (1929), Florentine Frescoes (1930), English Painting in the XVIIIth Century (1938) and Rembrandt: Selected Paintings (1942).
became independent of Russia, he acted as secretary of the diplomatic mission (1918) and as representative of Finland in London from 1919. In World War II this role became important as Britain initially sought to cultivate links to Finland
, which had been attacked by Soviet Russia during the Winter War
, as part of the Nazi-Soviet pact. When Germany invaded Russia, Finland became a de facto ally of the Nazis against the Russians. Finnish leader Field Marshal Mannerheim
was careful to keep his distance from Hitler and maintain links to the Western Allies. Borenius knew Mannerheim and during the Winter War he wrote a laudatory biography of the general.
Borenius was made Secretary-General of the Polish Relief Fund in 1939, designed to send aid to Poland and assist Polish refugees in Britain. He had long cultivated links between Poland, Finand and Britain, having been vice-president of the Anglo-Polish society before the war. The anti-Nazi journal Free Europe referred to him as "a living symbol of Polish-Finnish collaboration".
to deliver a message to an associate of Rudolf Hess as part of a plan to entice him to Britain. The message was an invitation for Hess to meet the British Royal Family as part of a plan to create an Anglo-Nazi alliance, removing Winston Churchill
from power. The invitation was a trap. According to Harris, "the incredible plot that led to Hess's capture bought Britain time from a planned German invasion...and ultimately was a turning point in defeating Hitler and winning the war. Without Tancred's involvement, there can be little doubt that Britain, and much of Europe, would be speaking German today."
Historian Roger Moorhouse
, author of Berlin at War disputed the claims, stating that "MI6 would have little to gain from luring Hess to Britain. Although nominally important, he was actually a peripheral figure by 1941. The most likely theory is that he came over of his own volition."
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He was a prolific author and recognised as one of the world's leading experts on Italian art of the early Renaissance.
Borenius also served as a diplomat liaising between Finland and Britain. It has been claimed that during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Borenius worked as a spy for the British government and was instrumental in enticing Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Hess
Rudolf Walter Richard Hess was a prominent Nazi politician who was Adolf Hitler's deputy in the Nazi Party during the 1930s and early 1940s...
to fly to Britain in 1941.
Career
Borenius was the son of Finnish businessman and politician Carl Borenius. He studied at Helsinki and in Italy. He received his Ph.D. from Helsinki UniversityUniversity of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but was founded in the city of Turku in 1640 as The Royal Academy of Turku, at that time part of the Swedish Empire. It is the oldest and largest university in Finland with the widest range of disciplines available...
in 1909, after which he moved to London. His first book was a version of his doctoral dissertation, Painters of Vincenza (1909). He married Anne-Marie Rüneberg, a granddaughter of the Finnish poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Johan Ludvig Runeberg
Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finnish poet, and is the national poet of Finland. He wrote in the Swedish language....
.
Borenius soon met Roger Fry
Roger Fry
Roger Eliot Fry was an English artist and art critic, and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Establishing his reputation as a scholar of the Old Masters, he became an advocate of more recent developments in French painting, to which he gave the name Post-Impressionism...
, to whom he became close. Fry introduced him to the art circles in Britain, and he became associated with the Bloomsbury group
Bloomsbury Group
The Bloomsbury Group or Bloomsbury Set was a group of writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists who held informal discussions in Bloomsbury throughout the 20th century. This English collective of friends and relatives lived, worked or studied near Bloomsbury in London during the first half...
. Borenius was appointed in 1914 as a lecturer at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
after Fry left. After Henry Tonks
Henry Tonks
Henry Tonks, FRCS was a British draughtsman and painter of figure subjects, chiefly interiors, and a caricaturist...
had established the Edwin Durning-Lawrence
Edwin Durning-Lawrence
Sir Edwin Durning-Lawrence, 1st Baronet was a British lawyer and Member of Parliament.He is best known for his advocacy of the Baconian theory of Shakespeare authorship, which asserts that Francis Bacon was the author of Shakespeare's plays. He published a number of books on the subject and...
chair in art history at the university Borenius was appointed its first professor in 1922. In 1933 he became director of the excavations of Clarendon Palace
Clarendon Palace
Clarendon Palace is a medieval ruin near Salisbury in Wiltshire, England.The palace was a royal residence during the Middle Ages, and was the location of the Assize of Clarendon which developed the Constitutions of Clarendon.-Roman Times:...
near Salisbury, where he continued to dig regularly until 1939.
Though initially a specialist on Italian art, Borenius became increasingly interested in the art of his adopted country. His opinion on art was highly valued, and he worked as a consultant at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
. He was also an advisor to the Earl of Harewood's art collection.
He helped to found the art magazine Apollo
Apollo (magazine)
Apollo is a British fine and decorative arts magazine. Founded in 1925 and based in London, it features a mixture of exhibition reviews, art-world news, profiles of collectors, and articles by scholars....
in 1925, and became one of its most active contributors. He was also actively involved with the Burlington Magazine, of which he became managing editor during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from 1940 to 1945.
He wrote numerous books on art, including English Primitives (1924), The Iconography of St. Thomas of Canterbury (1929), Florentine Frescoes (1930), English Painting in the XVIIIth Century (1938) and Rembrandt: Selected Paintings (1942).
Diplomacy
When FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
became independent of Russia, he acted as secretary of the diplomatic mission (1918) and as representative of Finland in London from 1919. In World War II this role became important as Britain initially sought to cultivate links to Finland
Franco-British plans for intervention in the Winter War
During the early stages of World War II, the British and French Allies made a series of proposals to send troops to fight against the Soviet Union, which had invaded Finland as a consequence of the Nazi-Soviet Pact...
, which had been attacked by Soviet Russia during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
, as part of the Nazi-Soviet pact. When Germany invaded Russia, Finland became a de facto ally of the Nazis against the Russians. Finnish leader Field Marshal Mannerheim
Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim
Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of Finland's Defence Forces during World War II, Marshal of Finland, and a Finnish statesman. He was Regent of Finland and the sixth President of Finland...
was careful to keep his distance from Hitler and maintain links to the Western Allies. Borenius knew Mannerheim and during the Winter War he wrote a laudatory biography of the general.
Borenius was made Secretary-General of the Polish Relief Fund in 1939, designed to send aid to Poland and assist Polish refugees in Britain. He had long cultivated links between Poland, Finand and Britain, having been vice-president of the Anglo-Polish society before the war. The anti-Nazi journal Free Europe referred to him as "a living symbol of Polish-Finnish collaboration".
Hess claims
The writer John Harris asserts that Borenius was sent by the British to GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
to deliver a message to an associate of Rudolf Hess as part of a plan to entice him to Britain. The message was an invitation for Hess to meet the British Royal Family as part of a plan to create an Anglo-Nazi alliance, removing Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
from power. The invitation was a trap. According to Harris, "the incredible plot that led to Hess's capture bought Britain time from a planned German invasion...and ultimately was a turning point in defeating Hitler and winning the war. Without Tancred's involvement, there can be little doubt that Britain, and much of Europe, would be speaking German today."
Historian Roger Moorhouse
Roger Moorhouse
Roger Moorhouse is a British historian and author. Born in Stockport, Cheshire, he was raised in Hertfordshire and attended Berkhamsted School. Inspired to return to education by the East European Revolutions of 1989, Moorhouse enrolled in the School of Slavonic and East European Studies of the...
, author of Berlin at War disputed the claims, stating that "MI6 would have little to gain from luring Hess to Britain. Although nominally important, he was actually a peripheral figure by 1941. The most likely theory is that he came over of his own volition."