Collected Through Love: The Michael Woodford Bequest

When our curators went to visit Woodford at his home in Kent, they found a former council-owned maisonette crammed with furniture. Once inside, every wall was covered with notable etchings, linocuts and watercolours by some of the most significant artists of the 20th century.

From a young age, Michael had an overwhelming passion for art. He visited exhibitions of his favourite artists up and down the country and collected more than 700 art books (some of which were also given to the Gallery’s library, including around 100 books on Picasso). He was also an amateur artist himself, going on painting trips to Wales, exhibiting his work in local art shows and even designing stained glass windows for a chapel in Cranbrook.

Woodford was inspired to bequeath his collection to Pallant House Gallery after seeing a small exhibition of Graham Sutherland’s work in 2003, one of his artistic heroes. In one of his letters, now in the Gallery’s archive, Michael expressed his delight that “such a fine collection has accepted my bequest, so that in time, many others may enjoy that privilege which I currently possess”. He described his artworks as “a bequest by a ‘minor’ collector (not a rich rock star!) collected through ‘love’ and when finance permitted!” It is an inspiring story, demonstrating that collecting art can be enjoyed and shared by anyone.