Michael Behrens (banker)
| Michael Behrens | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Edward Michael Behrens 15 September 1911 |
| Died | January 1989 |
| Residence | Culham Court, Berkshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | financier |
| Known for | co-owner of the Ionian Bank |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Constance Felicity Arnold (m. 1936) |
| Children | 3 sons, including Timothy Behrens |
| Parent(s) | Noel Edward Behrens Catherine Vivien Coward |
| Relatives |
Betty Behrens (sister) Sir Cecil Coward (grandfather) |
Edward Michael Behrens (15 September 1911 - January 1989) was a British financier, banker, stockbroker, and restaurant and gallery owner, who became co-owner of the Ionian Bank. Through his ownership of the Hanover Gallery, he was an early patron of the artist Francis Bacon.
Edward Michael Behrens was born on 15 September 1911, in Kensington, London. His father was Noel Edward Behrens (1879–1967), a civil servant until his retirement in 1921 and then a banker, and his wife, Catherine Vivien Coward (1880–1961), the daughter of Sir Cecil Coward (1845–1938). His elder sister was the historian and academic Betty Behrens.
In 1953, he already owned La Resèrve restaurant, when he bought the "influential" Hanover Gallery from Arthur Jeffress. Hanover Gallery represented Francis Bacon who had his first solo show there in 1949, and did so until 1958 when he left for the Marlborough Gallery. Behrens was visiting the empty gallery for the first time one evening when Erica Brausen, who ran the gallery, mentioned in passing that she would be closing up the next day. Behrens was "immediately fascinated" by Bacon's work, and offered to help. Jeffress "detested" Bacon and that was his main reason for backing out of the Hanover Gallery. Jeffress apparently thought that Behrens also "loathed" Bacon.
In 1958, Behrens and John Trusted, both stockbrokers at the time and directors of the British Bank for Foreign Trade, acquired the long-established Ionian Bank. Ionian Bank became "a leader in North Sea oil".
In 1936, he married Helen Constance Felicity Arnold (1913-2001), and they had three sons, including the artist Timothy Behrens. Even though he had bought the "influential" Hanover Gallery from Arthur Jeffress, he was not happy with his son's wish to pursue an artistic career.
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