Keith Andrews FRSE (11 October 1920 – 4 April 1989) was a German born British art historian and museum curator.
Andrews was born Kurt Hermann Aufrichtig in Hamburg on 11 October 1920, the son of Sabine Kalter (1889–1957) and Max Aufrichtig (1879–1950). [1] His mother, born to a German speaking Polish Galician Jewish family in Jarosław, Galicia, Austria-Hungary was a leading mezzo-soprano at the Hamburg State Opera.[2][3][4] His father, born in Breslau (present-day Wrocław), was a banker in Hamburg. [5] Andrews had a younger sister Rene Andrews (1923–1992), born Renate Berta Aufrichtig.[6][7] The family fled Nazi Germany in January 1935 and settled in London with Andrews becoming a naturalised British citizen in 1947. [8][9][1]
Andrews was educated at Quäkerschule Eerde [de] a Schulen im Exil [de] in Eerde, Ommen.[9] At the age of 17 he contracted Poliomyelitis, which caused permanent muscle weakness in both legs.[9] Returning to London, Andrews attended Night school at the Courtauld Institute twice a week, earning his diploma in the early 1950s.[9][10][11] During this time he was well known at Warburg Institute, with Gertrud Bing referring to Andrews' as "a child of the house".[9]
Andrews was awarded an Honorary MA from the University of Edinburgh [11] and an Honorary D Litt from University of Glasgow in 1985.[9]
During his studies at the Courtauld, Andrews worked at Ernst Seligmann's antiquarian bookshop 'E Seligmann, Books & Prints' on Cecil Court.[12][13][9] In 1955 Andrews was employed as an Art Librarian and Curator at the then Liverpool City Libraries, remaining there until 1958.[11][9]
In 1958 Andrews' joined the Department of Prints and Drawings at the National Gallery of Scotland as 'Keeper of Prints and Drawings'.[9] Andrew's publications on Adam Elsheimer (1578–1610) are of particular importance.[10]
Andrews' was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in March 1989.[11]
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