Where would the art world be without dealers?

 



Photo of Edith Halpert from New York Times

It can take more than talent to become a successful artist, what you also need is an outlet for your work. And in the case of new schools of art, not just an outlet, but someone to champion these works. In recent years, we have had some interesting biographies of art dealers, and the stories of the roles they played are often fascinating.


One recent book is "The Girl with the Gallery" by Lindsay Pollock. This is the story of Edith Halpert, who instead of pursuing her own artistic career, became an early proponent of American modernists (many now considered iconic) such as Arthur Dove, Stuart Davis, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Charles Sheeler and Jacob Lawrence. Trying to sell conventional art can always be a struggle, but it was particularly difficult trying to do this in the midst of 1930's great depression.

She persevered, and we have locally the benefit of her dealing in the Lane collection holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She sold many works to the Lanes, and one gallery of 20th century art will give you an impression of what her gallery must have looked like.
Her story is a fascinating look not only at the emergence of the modern art marketplace in America, but of a particularly driven and resourceful woman in business.


You can read the New York Times review of the book here; this book is available in the QCC Library.

The Monuments Men

For those of you not that familiar with WWII, some background. When the Nazis came to power, as part of their actions against Jewish (and other populations), assets were seized, including works of art. Some, in particular art favored by Hitler and other officials was selected for personal use and also for display in German museums, including those to be built after victory.

Other works, considered degenerate (such as those by modernist and abstract painters), was displayed for mockery by the public, but as much as they didn't like the art, they liked the funds that could be obtained by selling it.

As the war was nearing its end, museums and art scholars were concerned about losses and damage to cultural treasures of Europe, both from war activity and from looting. The new movie, The Monuments Men, will tell this story (with the additional benefit of having the historical figures played by major Hollywood stars).

While it remains to be seen how accurate the film (based on a book of the same name) will be, there are many amazing true stories about how art professionals here and in Europe acted to hide and save works of art (as well as saving artists and scholars).

The book "Rape of Europa" has some fascinating stories. Even in America, the threat was serious enough that masterpieces from the major museums were shifted to parts of the country that were presumed safer.

Even to this day, art that was stolen during the war is still being returned (or settlements made) to family members or their descendents. And there is still a lot of art that has not yet re-appeared. Perhaps not lost for all time, as the recent discovery in Munich