LASKO, Peter (Erik) 1924-2003

OBITUARY NOTICE—See index for CA sketch: Born March 5, 1924, in Berlin, Germany; died May 18, 2003, in France. Art historian, educator, and author. Lasko is most often remembered as the former director of the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Moving from Germany to England in 1937 because his father was Jewish, he originally intended to be an artist, and toward this end attended the St. Martin's School of Art at Birkbeck College. Deciding he was not talented enough to be an artist, he switched to art history at the Courtauld Institute, graduating with honors in 1949. From 1950 to 1965 Lasko worked as assistant keeper of British and medieval antiquities at the British Museum, moving on to academia in 1965 as a professor of fine arts at the University of East Anglia. While there, his interest in medieval metalwork led him to become the general editor of the "Pelican History of Art" series and to write one of its volumes, Ars sacra, 800-1200 (1972; second edition, 1994), which is often considered his most important contribution to academic writing. While at the university he also helped create a collection of important twentieth-century abstract and constructivist art. In 1975 Lasko replaced Anthony Blunt, who was discovered to have been a Soviet spy, as director of the Courtauld Institute, where he also became professor of art history. Serving in the directorship until 1985, he made the important contribution of moving the institute to Somerset House, thus making it possible to combine the teaching facilities with world-class art collections for easy study of the important works of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masters included in the collection. After retiring from the Courtauld Institute, Lasko remained active in the art world, and, among other duties, served on the British Museum's board of trustees until 1995 and was academic governor of Richmond College at the American University of London from 1988 to 2001. Named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1981, Lasko was also the author of Kingdom of the Franks: North-West Europe before Charlemagne (1971); at the time of his death he had just completed a book on German Expressionism titled The Expressionist Roots of Modernism and a fictionalized account of the life of twelfth-century goldsmith Roger of Helmarshausen.

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

BOOKS

Writers Directory, 18th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

PERIODICALS

Independent (London, England), May 28, 2003, p. 16.

Los Angeles Times, June 1, 2003, p. B15.

New York Times, May 31, 2003, p. B17.

Times (London, England), May 29, 2003.

Washington Post, June 2, 2003, p. B6.