Anthony Blunt
A towering figure in art history who lived a breathtaking double life as a spy for the Soviet Union, betraying his country for ideology.
1907–1983 (age 76)·British art historian and Soviet spy·Birthday: September 26·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Anthony Blunt's life was a masterpiece of deception, played out in the rarefied air of British academia and aristocracy. As an art historian, his intellect was formidable; he became the Surveyor of the King's Pictures, a professor at London University, and a leading authority on Poussin, shaping the taste of a nation. His writings were lucid, his eye impeccable. Yet beneath this polished exterior thrived a committed Marxist who, as a Cambridge undergraduate in the 1930s, was recruited as a Soviet agent. For decades, Blunt passed secrets to Moscow while advising the royal family on their art collection, a paradox of breathtaking audacity. His exposure in 1979, long after his active espionage had ended, caused a public scandal that shattered his knighthood and reputation. Blunt remains a complex figure: a traitor who damaged Western security, and a scholar whose contributions to art history retain their significant weight.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anthony was born in 1907, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anthony Was Born
The biggest hits of 1907
Anthony's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1907Born
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Started school
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1920Became a teenager
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Could drive
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1925Could vote
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Turned 21
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1937Turned 30
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 40
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 50
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 60
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 70
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1983Died at 76
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
Key Achievements
- Served as Surveyor of the King's (later Queen's) Pictures from 1945 to 1972, overseeing the royal art collection.
- Authored seminal works on French art, particularly on the painter Nicolas Poussin, establishing new critical frameworks.
- Was appointed Director of the Courtauld Institute of Art, training a generation of influential art historians.
- Was revealed as the "Fourth Man" in the Cambridge Spy Ring, confirming long-held suspicions about his treason.
Did You Know?
He was a talented linguist and reportedly cracked coded messages for British intelligence during World War II, even while spying for the Soviets.
Blunt was granted immunity from prosecution in 1964 in exchange for a full confession, which remained secret for 15 years.
He was stripped of his knighthood after his public exposure, a rare and humiliating act.
The writer Alan Bennett based his play "The Old Country" loosely on Blunt's life and persona.
““I regret the actions, but not the motives.” (Reported statement on his espionage)”
