Berlin-born Wilfred Cass MBE, whose family fled Nazi Germany in 1935, was first bullied at school in Germany for being Jewish and bullied once again in Britain for speaking German instead of English. This childhood adversity, though, gave Wilfred the drive to succeed.
“Being bullied stunted his emotional growth, but what it gave him was his decision to take control of every aspect of his life,” his son Mark Cass recalls of his father, who went on to have an outstanding career in business and art and make a huge impact on contemporary sculpture in Britain.
Wilfred’s legacy is now being celebrated by the new Cass Art Prize, which will award £10,000 to its first winner at the Copeland Gallery in south-east London on November 7.
After training as an electrical engineer, in the 1970s, Wilfred took over the oldest paint manufacturer in the world, Reeves, picking up the legacy of his great-uncle, Paul Cassirer.
An art dealer, Cassirer was instrumental in bringing French impressionist paintings to Germany, showcasing the likes of Edgar Degas, Charles Monet, Paul Cézanne and the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh at his gallery Die Berliner Kunstsalon, going against the grain of promoting German artists as preferred by the authorities.
Portrait of Mark Cass' great-great uncle, art dealer Paul Cassirer, by Leopold von Kalckreuth (1912) (Photo: Wikipedia)
Years later, none other than sculptor Henry Moore called Wilfred on his first day at Reeves for help with paint. This sparked a friendship that would lead to Wilfred’s significant interest and work in sculpture. Embracing Moore’s enthusiasm for viewing sculpture in landscape, Wilfred and his wife Jeanette displayed works in the grounds of their own West Sussex home.
The couple went on to found the Cass Sculpture Foundation, which funded public art under its mission to support emerging artists. The pioneering British charitable organisation commissioned more than 450 sculptures and invested more than £43 million into artists in the last 25 years.
“I don't think anybody's done anything of that scale,” says Mark, 67, who lives in Holland Park in London and has three daughters. “My father had always been very supportive of young people. He was always very interested in people who had that energy and love for life. The Sculpture Foundation came from that love, and he wanted to support the ecosystem, so he came up with a charity to support artists.”
The Foundation has placed works in museums around the world, from Sir Anthony Caro and the Tower of Discovery in MOMA to the first major solo show for Tony Craggy on Exhibition Road in 2012. It also enabled the first three sculptures on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square,which is “now one of the most important spaces in the world,” says Mark. “It's a huge achievement. He was a bit of a maverick.”
The name “Cass” is synonymous with art. Mark founded Cass Art in 1984, deciding to revolutionise the art supply business and make it accessible to all.
The Cass Art Prize continues Wilfred’s pioneering spirit. The idea was born when Mark and family members were talking in Wilfred’s house after his death in 2022.
Wilfred Cass, whose legacy his son, Mark, wants to continue through the Cass Art Prize
“The thing he really wanted, and thought he was going to achieve, was to live to 100,” recalls Mark. “I said: ‘It'd be really nice to actually celebrate his 100th birthday.’”
Given it was coming up to the 40th anniversary of Cass Art, Mark wanted to show his gratitude to his father so he timed the inaugural art prize around what would have been his centenary on November 11.
“We were best friends, and we built businesses together. Cass Art would not have existed without him. This is something for whihc I've been on a mission for 40 years, and I want to thank him. I think he would have loved this; it fits into what we do.”
He ensured that the art prize would be open to everyone in keeping with the company’s ethos of providing art for all, with the slogan “Let's fill this town with artists.”
“We're a very inclusive business, inviting people in to be creative and make their mark.”
One of Mark’s prized possessions remains a note from Henry Moore, written in 1975, because it highlights the importance of connection.
“Life is about connection. That's what my dad taught me. I think that's a Jewish trait as is doing something that's a bit different to the norm. He had a confidence in making those decisions and being in charge of your own life.”
The Cass Art Prize exhibition is running between November 8 and November 16 at the Copeland Gallery. Click here for more details
