Sir Denis Mahon Archive

This collection documents the career and scholarly interests of art historian and collector, Sir Denis Mahon. Prominent in the field of Italian baroque studies, Sir Denis wrote prolifically, travelled widely, and engaged with collectors, galleries, museums, dealers, scholars, politicians and private individuals throughout his life in pursuit of his research, collecting, and campaigning work. Reflecting the most prominent aspects of his professional life, the collection is arranged into the following series: Advisory Activity; Research Activity; Collecting Activity; and Lobbying Activity. These four series comprise records created or received by Sir Denis Mahon in the course of his work and comprise advisory and attribution correspondence; research notes and writings; his photographic archive; collecting documentation and correspondence, and his lobbying records. With some exceptions, these materials tend to focus on the geographical areas of Bologna, Florence, Cento, Naples, and Rome in Italy, alongside the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the United States more broadly. Correspondents span the professional art sphere but notable collaborators include Luigi Salerno, Andrea Emiliani, Prisco Bagni, and Nicholas Turner. Primary artistic interests documented in this collection include the artists Guercino, Caravaggio, the Carracci, Guido Reni, Domenichino, and Nicolas Poussin. A fifth series, Family Papers, encompasses archival material relating to Sir Denis Mahon's broader family lineage in Britain and Ireland, most notably the Mahon and Vesey families of Castlegar, County Galway, and the Browne family of Westport House, County Mayo. This final series includes family photographs, correspondence, and writings, alongside a selection of furniture, silver, and works of art taken from Sir Denis's family home in 33 Cadogan Square, London in 2010.