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3 In the course of many exhibitions of post war British art curated at Osborne Samuel, one name would continually arise - that of Lilian Somerville. She was the Director of the British Council's Fine Arts Department from 1948 to 1970, the doyenne of pivotal Venice and São Paulo Biennales and curator of numerous British Council led touring exhibitions. Letters and documents written by her or to her exist in huge files at the National Archives, the British Council and in countless artists' archives. Her influence at home and internationally was extensive and profound on the landscape of post war British art. Curiously however, until now, there has not been an exhibition or publication dedicated to her work, unlike male colleagues of the same generation. In this exhibition we have brought together paintings and sculptures by British artists with a connection to Somerville. Their careers were undoubtedly impacted by her enterprise - and some even dedicated works to her, such as Lynn Chadwick's unique sculpture titled – Diamond Lil - Lilian Somerville's nickname. Bridget Riley, an artist for whom I have had a lifelong admiration, has also generously written for this catalogue, breathing life into this fascinating narrative. It is impossible for a private gallery to curate an exhibition of this depth without the extremely generous support of friends of the gallery who have loaned their treasures and family heirlooms. The gallery has also worked for many decades with the estate of Lynn Chadwick and the Henry Moore Foundation, whose assistance in that time has been immeasurable. I am also very grateful to Judith LeGrove who collaborated with me throughout the planning stages for this exhibition and assessed a considerable archive of fascinating material. She has written the extensive introduction and essays on each of the artists. I N T R O D U C T I O N BY TA N I A S U T TO N Left: Bridget Riley, Rising and Falling Curve with Turquoise, Cerise, Olive and Black, 1974 (Detail: Illustrated pages 130-131) Gouache and pencil on paper Signed and dated lower right, titled lower left in pencil 146 x 51 cm (57 ½ x 20 in) Lynn Chadwick, Diamond Lil, 1952 Iron and glass Unique 38 x 48 x 43 cm (15 x 19 x 13 in) (Illustrated page 44 and cover)

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