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Anthony Frederick Blunt ( September 26, 1907 - March 26 1983) was an English art historian and the "Fourth Man" of the Cambridge Five, a group of spies working for the Soviet Union during the Cold War.He was born in Bournemouth, where his father had been a vicar. He studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, graduated in 1930, and became a teacher of French. He became a Fellow of the college in 1932, and in 1965 was Slade Professor of Fine Art in Cambridge. He was a member of the Cambridge ApostlesThe Cambridge Apostles (aka the Cambridge Conversazione Society) is an elite intellectual secret society of Cambridge University, founded in 1820 by George Tomlinson, who became the Bishop of Gibraltar. The society allegedly takes its name from the tongue, a secret society which at that time was MarxistMarxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. Marx drew on Hegel's philosophy, the political economy of Adam Smith, R, formed from members of Cambridge University.
After visiting Russia in 1933Centuries: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Years: 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 See also 1933 in aviation 1933 in film 1933 in literature 1933 in mu, he was recruited by the NKVDBoris Vladimirski, a depiction of the cars used by NKVD agents. Curiously, this painting was approved by Stalin's censors. The Narodnyi Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del (or NKVD People's Commisariat for Interior Affairs, was the name for the state security in (forerunner of the KGBFor other meanings, see KGB (disambiguation). The Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (or KGB ( Russian: ; English: Committee for State Security , was the name of the main Soviet Security Agency and intelligence agency, as well as the main secret police) in 1934Events January-April January 1 Alcatraz becomes a federal prison. January 7 First Flash Gordon comic strip is published. January 10 Execution of Marinus van der Lubbe January 24 Einstein visits White House January 26 The Apollo Theater opens in Harlem, Ne. He joined the British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces of the United Kingdom. It numbers 99,400 fully trained and professional regulars (as of April 2004). In contrast to the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, the British Army does not include royal in its title, bec in 1939 and in 1940Events January-February January 5 FM radio is demonstrated to the FCC for the first time. January 6 World War II: Mass execution of Poles, committed by Germans in the Poznan, Warthegau. January 12 World War II: Russia bombs cities in Finland. February 2 F was recruited to MI5, the military intelligence department, where he had access to Ultra intelligence from decoded Enigma messages. After the war he became director of the Courtauld Institute of Art (1947-1974)
In 1945 he became Surveyor of the King's Pictures, and retained the post under Queen Elizabeth II, for which work he was knighted in 1956. He retained the post until 1972. He was particularly knowledgeable on the works of Nicolas Poussin.
MI5 learned of his espionage in 1963 from an American, Michael Straight, whom he had unsuccessfully tried to recruit. Blunt confessed to MI5 on April 23, 1964, but his spying career remained an official secret until he was publicly named by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1979. His knighthood was immediately revoked, followed by his honorary fellowship of Trinity College. According to MI5 papers released in 2002, the organization was told by writer Lady Moura Budberg in 1950 that Blunt was a member of the Communist Party, but the information was ignored.
