Anthea Brook

31st March 2017

Dear friends,
 
It is with great sadness that I write to you to let you know that our dear friend, Anthea, died today after a short, totally unexpected, rapidly progressing and cruel illness. Anthea was in St Jospeh’s Hospice, Hackney, for the last two weeks or so, after a spell in hospital in Florence. In Florence, Anthea was looked after with love by Luigi and Hermione Grassi, here, by her devoted nieces and nephews and her sister. They took very good care of her in the hospice and she did not suffer physically.
 
I am so glad that I saw her in the hospice this morning. Anthea looked at peace.
 
We shall all treasure our particular memories of Anthea. She was a devoted friend and a first class art historian. Dimitri, a Greek scholar who I have never met and do not recall his surname, for which I apologise, will take over her work on Ferdinando and Pietro Tacca.
 
In my work to help the cultural heritage of Croatia, so brutally attacked in 1991, Anthea was a tower of strength. In 1992, Anthea organised the exhibition of photographs of damage, “The Cost of Conflict”, to be held in the foyer of the Courtauld Institute, which was there on view for four months. She helped me with endless translations applying for funding, writing letters, obituaries, suggesting names for the committee of honour for the concerts given by Ivo Pogorelich in the Royal Festival Hall, organising conferences. Anthea introduced me to so many people, many of them listed in this email, who helped with different aspects of the work of the Trust. My debt to Anthea is enormous and I will miss her very much indeed in every way.

Josko Belamaric has written "In Memoriam" which will be published in the daily newspaper, SLOBODNA DALMACIJA, on Maundy Thursday.  Josko’s obituary will also be published in two Croatian art historical journals.

The funeral of Anthea will take place at the Golders Green Crematorium, Hoop Lane, Golders Green, on Tuesday 11th April at 1pm. Then, on the same day, there will be a commemoration gathering at the Courtauld Institute of Art in the Sackler Research Forum Room on the Mezzanine floor from 3 to 5pm.

I know that everybody will be warmly welcomed by Anthea’s family. Her sister Stephanie and brother-in-law, Roy Douglas, their children, nieces and nephews and her wider family. For many of you this will not be possible, as you do not live in London.

I would also like to thank those of you who have already pledged a contribution towards something in Anthea’s memory.
 
Jadranka
 
Jadranka Beresford-Peirse
Founder and Trustee
The International Trust for Croatian Monuments
www.croatianmonuments.org 

Anthea Brook's obituary appeared in the Times newspaper on 5th May 2017 and is reproduced here with kind permission from The Times.