born July 13, 1903, London, Eng.
died May 21, 1983, Hythe
British art historian and administrator.
Born to a wealthy family, he studied at the University of Oxford. After two years of study with Bernard Berenson in Florence, he served as keeper of fine art at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum (1931–34) and director of London's National Gallery (1934–39). He was involved in academic research and public service for most of his life. He published widely and became internationally known in 1969 as the writer and host of the BBC series Civilisation , a survey of European art from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.