THOSE WERE TERRIBLE YEARS
I would think that the name Dominique Strauss-Kahn rings a bell ? He was a brilliant politician but unfortunately was also a brilliant seducer. There have been many court cases against him. I have always been in admiration of his second wife, Anne Sinclair. She may have come from an extremely influential family, not to mention rich, but she stood by him until the end. The rumors of how much was « spent » to keep him out of prison or simply out of court cases is an amount that none of those I know would see in a life time. I have a lot of respect for her. One evening at the theatre I was carefully going up the stairs to the balcony studying my feet as I do these days and banged into someone. It was Anne Sinclair. She was always a beauty with those huge blue eyes and for her years (1948-) I would think that many men are still after her. The man with her that evening was Pierre Nova, a French historian and quite a bit older than she is. The only disagreeable moment about that encounter was her bodyguard who pushed me aside like an unsavory individual.
What on earth has this got to do with an exhibition? Her grandfather Paul Rosenberg was undoubtedly one of the most famous collectors of the beginning of the last century.
I knew the Rosenberg name well, or so I thought, but until recently had not related it to Anne Sinclair. In fact when I was looking up which museum the collection was being showed, I kept on seeing « 21 rue La Boétie » I was totally confused. Jerome and Laurent had been at the opening, I texted them to find out if it was in the Maillol museum or at 21 rue de La Boétie. How naive could I get…The following day I ventured out in rain which was pouring down in torrents - I went in the wrong direction and finally when I did get to the Musée Maillol, jumped the queue with my Icom card and was inside in seconds.
So who was Paul Rosenberg? He is a second generation collector after Paul Ruel who « poured his life into modern art ». After some years with his father, also a collector, he decided to go it alone in 1910 and opened a gallery, offices and his home in what is a beautiful Haussmann building at the 21 rue La Boétie. First of all it was the impressionists rather than contemporary artists. The first person to integrate into his gallery was a woman. That in itself must have been a great achievement at the time. Marie Laurencin (1883-1956) - 1913. I have always loved her work. Just a few pictures as most of them were in private collections - you know what that means for the camera - this is Anne Sinclair - all of 4 years. She told Marie Laurencin that the artist must not forget that her eyes are BLUE. Just as well, as many of Laurencin’s models have large black eyes. This is a delight.
I dragged one off Internet of « The Two Spaniards » but it comes from a private collection.
Soon other famous names follow but sometime later. Five years after for Pablo Picasso. (1881-1973) He becomes « Pic » for the collector.
What is more, I don't remember seeing any of his Arelquins - stage costumes: they are described as being painted by an "alto-ego mélancolique" but in actual fact are characters from La Commedia dell'Arte...
And this lovely photo of Anne Sinclair and Picasso
Georges Braques (1882-1963) comes in, in 1923
Fernand Léger (1881-1955) in 1926
In 1936, his old friend Matisse (1869-1954) joins the group. Up until then he had been fiercely independent.
Of course, there are many others too:
Toulouse Lautrec:(1864-1901)
Edouard Manet (1832- 1883)
Works by Manet were much admired by Matisse and Picasso and were presented at an early date in the Alexandre Rosenberg's collection and later by his son Paul.
Alfred Sisley (1839-1899)
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
George Seurat (1859-1891)
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
André Masson (1896-1987)
André Lhote (1885-1962)
For « his artists » Rosenberg drew up a contract, giving them a very generous annual pension if they allowed him to have a first choice of their work. In this way he was able to keep the artists he loved without crushing their creativity. As the years go along, Rosenberg becomes more and more sure of himself, knows what he wants and the exhibitions are eye opening. In the first semester of 1936, he presents works of Braque, Seurat, Picasso, Matisse, Monet... Rosenberg sets the paintings up in his gallery, prints the catalogues and does the marketing. In between all this he is travelling around the world seeking out the main collectors - and there are many of them. Then there is this mythical exhibition he gives in New York « Braque-Matisse-Picasso » in 1936. He has a branch in London and works with other members of his family.
The second world war is on their doorstep. Thanks to a friend he was able to escape to the USA in 1941 travelling through Spain and Portugal. He opened his own gallery in New York in 1941 and soon hears that his Parisian gallery has been searched. Soon after, all the works he has « hidden » in Florian in Libourne are ransacked and what is even more devastating, he loses his French nationality.
After the war, but it is a very slow process, the work was found and restored to the family.
This makes the collection even more important - or it did for me.
So much of his work was classified as degenerated.
All of the artists I mentioned and more too
Animal paintings were one of Marc's special fields. This was undoubtedly treated as degenrate art because of that unrealistic colour for a horse.
When walking through the gallery at the museum to look at the accepted work - if that had been what we were looking at today - I doubt if I would ever have visited a museum or gallery again - for an exhibition.
What on earth has this got to do with an exhibition? Her grandfather Paul Rosenberg was undoubtedly one of the most famous collectors of the beginning of the last century.
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| Paul Rosenberg and Anne Sinclair |
So who was Paul Rosenberg? He is a second generation collector after Paul Ruel who « poured his life into modern art ». After some years with his father, also a collector, he decided to go it alone in 1910 and opened a gallery, offices and his home in what is a beautiful Haussmann building at the 21 rue La Boétie. First of all it was the impressionists rather than contemporary artists. The first person to integrate into his gallery was a woman. That in itself must have been a great achievement at the time. Marie Laurencin (1883-1956) - 1913. I have always loved her work. Just a few pictures as most of them were in private collections - you know what that means for the camera - this is Anne Sinclair - all of 4 years. She told Marie Laurencin that the artist must not forget that her eyes are BLUE. Just as well, as many of Laurencin’s models have large black eyes. This is a delight.
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| Anne Sinclair |
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| Marie Laurencin "The Rehearsal" -1936 |
I dragged one off Internet of « The Two Spaniards » but it comes from a private collection.
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| Marie Laurencin "Les Deux Espagnoles" 1915 |
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| Picasso - "Partition, bouteille de port, guitare et cartes à jouer" -1917-1918 |
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| Picasso - "Pichet et coupe de fruits - 1931 |
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| Picasso - "Guitare" date? |
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| Picasso - "Les Arlequins" date? |
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| Picasso "Femme au cerceau" around 1923 |
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| Picasso - "Nature morte à la tête antique" -1925 |
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| Picasso - "Guitare sur un tapis rouge" - 1922 |
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| Picasso - "Guitare et compotier" - 1924 |
What is more, I don't remember seeing any of his Arelquins - stage costumes: they are described as being painted by an "alto-ego mélancolique" but in actual fact are characters from La Commedia dell'Arte...
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| Costume for "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
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| Costume for "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
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| Costume for "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
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| Costume for "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
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| Rough for the curtain of "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
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| Costume for "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
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| Final maquette for "Le Tricorne" - 1920 |
Georges Braques (1882-1963) comes in, in 1923
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| Georges Braque "Fruits sur une nappe" - 1924 |
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| Georges Braque "Le Duo" - 1937 |
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| Georges Braque "Nu couché" 1935 |
Fernand Léger (1881-1955) in 1926
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| Fernan Léger - "Composition" - 1929 |
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| Fernand Léger - "Nature Morte" 1930 |
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| Henri Matisse "La Leçon de piano" - 1923 |
Toulouse Lautrec:(1864-1901)
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| Justin Dieulh done in 1891 |
Edouard Manet (1832- 1883)
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| "La Sultane" - around 1871: |
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| "La côte du Coeur-volant à Marly sous la neige" 1877-88 |
Auguste Renoir (1841-1919)
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| "Le Poirier d'Angleterre" -around 1873 : It's very rare that Renoir's work does not include human beings. He was known as "the artist of figures" |
George Seurat (1859-1891)
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| Porte-ev-Bessin, avant-port, marée haute" 1888 |
Claude Monet (1840-1926)
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| "Bateaux à Honfleur" 1866 |
André Masson (1896-1987)
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| "Enlèvement" 1932 |
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| "Chevaux attaqués par des poissons" (!!!) - 1932 |
André Lhote (1885-1962)
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| "Alcôve" -1916 |
The second world war is on their doorstep. Thanks to a friend he was able to escape to the USA in 1941 travelling through Spain and Portugal. He opened his own gallery in New York in 1941 and soon hears that his Parisian gallery has been searched. Soon after, all the works he has « hidden » in Florian in Libourne are ransacked and what is even more devastating, he loses his French nationality.
After the war, but it is a very slow process, the work was found and restored to the family.
This makes the collection even more important - or it did for me.
So much of his work was classified as degenerated.
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| Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980) "Monte-Calo" 1925 |
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| Jules Pascin (1885-1930) -"Le Déjeuner" - 1923 |
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| Franz Marc (1880-1913) "Chevaux au pâturage" -1910 |
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| James Ensor (1860-1949) "La mort et les masques" 1887 |
Animal paintings were one of Marc's special fields. This was undoubtedly treated as degenrate art because of that unrealistic colour for a horse.
When walking through the gallery at the museum to look at the accepted work - if that had been what we were looking at today - I doubt if I would ever have visited a museum or gallery again - for an exhibition.
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| ??? |
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| Gisbert Palmié (1897-1986) "Bénédiction du travail" Representation of death was prohibited by the Nazis with the exception of what was termed to be heroic. This painting glorifies (symbolically) work, virility, perfection of female bodies, the promise of fertile pastures and women...etc. |
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| Paul Junghanns (1876-1953) "Matin d'été" 1944 |
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| Robert Streit (1883-1957) "Vieille tour du Vilage de Gmund en Carinthie - 1936 |
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| Richard Heymann (1900-1973) "Fruits mûrs" - 1943
Womens' emancipation was considered as a national doctrine as if a Jewish invention. The Nazi regime had other priorities. Ban on work for certain age groups: medals for mothers who merited them...
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