Michael Behrens (banker)
Edward Michael Behrens (15 September 1911 - January 1989) was a British financier, banker, stockbroker, and restaurant and gallery owner, who became co-owner of the Ionian Bank. Through his ownership of the Hanover Gallery, he was an early patron of the artist Francis Bacon.
Michael Behrens | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward Michael Behrens 15 September 1911 |
| Died | January 1989 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | financier |
| Known for | co-owner of the Ionian Bank |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Constance Felicity Arnold (m. 1936) |
| Children | 3 sons, including Timothy Behrens |
| Parent(s) | Noel Edward Behrens Catherine Vivien Coward |
| Relatives | Betty Behrens (sister) Sir Cecil Coward (grandfather) |
Early life
Edward Michael Behrens was born on 15 September 1911,[1] in Kensington, London.[2] His father was Noel Edward Behrens (1879–1967), a civil servant until his retirement in 1921 and then a banker, and his wife, Catherine Vivien Coward (1880–1961), the daughter of Sir Cecil Coward (1845–1938).[3][3] His elder sister was the historian and academic Betty Behrens.[4]
Career
In 1953, he already owned La Resèrve restaurant, when he bought the "influential" Hanover Gallery from Arthur Jeffress. Hanover Gallery represented Francis Bacon who had his first solo show there in 1949, and did so until 1958 when he left for the Marlborough Gallery.[5] Behrens was visiting the empty gallery for the first time one evening when Erica Brausen, who ran the gallery, mentioned in passing that she would be closing up the next day.[5][6][7] Behrens was "immediately fascinated" by Bacon's work, and offered to help.[7] Jeffress "detested" Bacon and that was his main reason for backing out of the Hanover Gallery.[7] Jeffress apparently thought that Behrens also "loathed" Bacon.[5]
In 1958, Behrens and John Trusted, both stockbrokers at the time and directors of the British Bank for Foreign Trade, acquired the long-established Ionian Bank.[8] Ionian Bank became "a leader in North Sea oil".[9]
Personal life
In 1936, he married Helen Constance Felicity Arnold (1913-2001), and they had three sons, including the artist Timothy Behrens.[6] Even though he had bought the "influential" Hanover Gallery from Arthur Jeffress, he was not happy with his son's wish to pursue an artistic career.[6]
They lived at 8 Hanover Terrace, overlooking Regent's Park, and in 1949 bought Culham Court, a large house in Berkshire on the river Thames.[6][10] After his death, Felicity lived there until 1996.
Behrens had an affair with the novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard in the late 1940s, and she modelled the protagonist in her 1956 novel The Long View on him.[11][6]
He was patron to the silver and goldsmith Gerald Benney, and owned the Hanover Gallery and the restaurant La Reserve.[9]
Death
Behrens died in the January-March quarter 1989, in London.[1]
References
- https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43622/page/3658/data.pdf
- "Betty Behrens". Oxforddnb.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- Gill Hedley. "Arthur Jeffress for Painting". Gill Hedley. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- "Tim Behrens, Daily Telegraph obituary". PressReader.com. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- Jean-Noel Liaut (1 October 2013). The Many Lives of Miss K: Toto Koopman - Model, Muse, Spy. Rizzoli. p. 114. ISBN 978-0-8478-4142-4. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- Margaret Reid (18 June 1982). The Secondary Banking Crisis, 1973–75: Its Causes and Course. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 146. ISBN 978-1-349-05286-8. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- Graham Hughes. "Obituary: Gerald Benney | Business". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- United Kingdom. "1939 Lagonda V12 Sports Saloon Chassis no. 14080 Engine no. 14080". Bonhams. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
- Claudia FitzHerbert (25 September 2016). "Elizabeth Jane Howard: the literary beauty in thrall to impossible men". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 11 July 2017.