“No one embodies the ideals of the Getty medal more than Lord Rothschild,” Cuno said. “Having led many of the world’s most important arts institutions, revived the public purpose of distinguished historic buildings, and supported the excavation and conservation of an important archaeological site, he is without question the most influential volunteer cultural leader in the English-speaking world.”
Lord Rothschild has served as Chairman of the National Gallery of Art, London, 1985–1991 and 1992–1998, during which the Gallery was expanded with the addition of the renowned Sainsbury Wing; Chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, 1994–1998; Chairman of the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, 2002–2004; Trustee and Honorary Fellow of the Courtauld Institute of Art; and Trustee of the State Hermitage Museum of St. Petersburg and the Qatar Museums Authority.
Dedicated to the preservation and public interpretation of significant built heritage, Lord Rothschild played a key role in the restoration of Somerset House, the most important 18th-century public building in London, and Spencer House, the refined 18th-century neo-classic London house designed by James Stuart for John, first Earl Spencer, perhaps the finest house ever built in London. He is also responsible for the Family Estate at Waddesdon together with Waddesdon Manor, the property which the Rothschild Foundation leases from the National Trust. It is famous for the family’s collections of fine furniture, decorative arts, rare books, and old master paintings. In addition, the property has been enlivened by its dynamic exhibition program.
In 2002, he was awarded the Order of Merit by Her Majesty the Queen. Members of the Order are limited in number to 24 and the order is given to those who have rendered exceptionally meritorious service in the field of the arts, learning, literature and science.
Lord Rothschild serves as Chairman of Yad Hanadiv, the Rothschild Family Foundation dedicated to the advancement of education, the environment, academic excellence and civil society in Israel. The Foundation was recently responsible for the building of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem and is currently committed to the creation of the new National Library.
With Lord Sainsbury of Preston of Candover, Lord Rothschild established the Butrint Foundation, supporting excavations and conservation of ancient sites at Butrint, Albania. Lord Rothschild is Chairman of RIT Capital Partners plc and J Rothschild Capital Management.
The J. Paul Getty Medal was established in 2013 by the Trustees of the J. Paul Getty Trust to recognize living individuals from all over the world for their leadership in the fields in which the Getty works. The first recipients were Harold M. Williams and Nancy Englander, who were honored for their leadership in creating the Getty as it exists today, a global leader in art history, conservation, and museum practice.