The name of artist Alfred Cohen may not be on everyone’s lips at the moment, but when he died in 2001, his Guardian obituary described him as a “brilliant colourist and deft draughtsman” while the Daily Telegraph reported his friendships with Anthony Quinn, Ingrid Bergman, Kirk Douglas, Sophia Loren, and David Niven.
In anticipation of the centenary of his birth in 1920, CMCI’s Professor Richard Howells was an invited speaker at a study day held at the Courtauld Institute of Art in conjunction with the Centre for American Art.
Howells spoke about Cohen’s 1986 painting “Arthur’s Room” (pictured here), which he argued was an exercise in memory and imagination in addition to being a formally impressive work in its own right.
Other speakers came from Australia and Italy, in addition to the United Kingdom. The event was organised by Professor Max Saunders, current director of KCL’s Arts & Humanities Research Institute. Further research and events are planned. Picture credit: ©Estate of Alfred Cohen, 2001.
Culture Media and Creative Industries @ Kings 