Le Roux Smith Le Roux

Le Roux displayed precocious talent,[4] completing his degree at the University of Cape Town Michaelis School under John Wheatley at the age of 17.

He used his access to archival material to find and leak information that would put the director in a bad light, among other misdemeanours, allowing the sale of a Renoir from the Courtauld Fund without proper procedures being followed.

[8] Le Roux found another ally in Max Aitken, Lord Beaverbrook, whose newspapers, Evening Standard and Daily Express published his leaks.

[8] The sensationalised resignation of Graham Sutherland from the board of trustees and venomous public letters from Douglas Cooper eventually gave the critics pause.

Then, at the opening of Richard Buckle's Diaghilev exhibition, an exasperated Rothenstein, taunted by Cooper, lashed out and knocked the man's glasses off.

Fellow judges were Graham Sutherland, art philosopher Herbert Read and Anthony Blunt, later identified as a member of the Cambridge Five.