After the Dance

After The Dance delves into the intriguing life of South African artist Le Roux Smith Le Roux (1914–1963), a brilliant yet obsessive outsider who was appointed Deputy Keeper of the Tate Gallery in 1950 at the age of thirty-six.

After The Dance delves into the intriguing life of South African artist Le Roux Smith Le Roux (1914–1963), a brilliant yet obsessive outsider who was appointed Deputy Keeper of the Tate Gallery in 1950 at the age of thirty-six. Renowned for his sharp intelligence and methodical approach, Le Roux boldly questions the price paid by Director Sir John Rothenstein for the Degas sculpture, Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen. While Le Roux excels in his professional life, his personal relationships are chaotic. The biography unveils the complexities of a talented man whose life was tumultuous as it was remarkable. The narrative describes the Great Tate Affair (1952–1954), offering a fresh perspective that challenges the accepted narrative shaped by Rothenstein’s flawed account. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, this book invites readers to reconsider one of art history’s most controversial episodes.

Philippe Le Roux was born in England in 1951 but went to South Africa as a child when his parents divorced in 1954. A university student during apartheid, Philippe was jailed and put in solitary confinement for seven months. When he was released, he went into exile in England. With a BA from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from London Business School, he joined the World Bank as an investment officer in 1978. Over the ensuing forty years, he worked across various industries, reviving a famous motorcycle company and managing a successful chain of restaurants. Since completing a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, he has written this biography and a novel.