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Private Collections

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I recently read an article about 3 private collections of art and I began to wonder, what is your philosophy on museums versus private collections?  Have you ever thought about it?  Are you of the mind that an original Vermeer, lets say, is wasted in a private collection?  Do you think there is an unspoken social contract that insists on art being enjoyed by the public?  Maybe, we have an obligation to the artist to allow the public to enjoy the work?  I'm torn.  It would be sad to never realize the intricasy of a Suerat or the eccentricity of a Dali in person.  Even a Van Gogh, which is often over-saturated with exposure in prints and stationary, is a remarkable thing in person.  Oftentimes, however, the public has the opportunity to enjoy those paintings that are owned privately. 

For example, there is, to the extent it is known, only one original Vermeer privately held.  All others are housed in the RijksMuseum in Amsterdam or in the permanent collections of other museums.  The Chrysler Museum  of Art recently had the privilege of showing this concealed piece of art. Thankfully, art collectors have an appreciation for art, as well as generally a desire to see it preseved and admired, which often allows museums, not unlike the Chrysler, to borrow their collections temporarily.  The "Young Woman Seated at a Virginal" is beautiful and a treasure to be sure--thankfully, for both the public and the private art collector to see.  

                                                 

Other such private collections include those of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas.  Interestingly enough, both moviemakers have an appreciation for Norman Rockwell originals.  Recently, they have partnered with the Smithsonian American Art Museum in a new exhibition that opened July 2nd.  "Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg" showcases 57 Rockwell originals and higlights the significance and interplay of Rockwell's subjects and the movie industry.  It is refreshing to see such a long exhibit, I might just get a chance to see it!  The exhibit closes January 2, 2011.  Below are some of the originals that, I can only imagine, are usually hung in Lucas' or Spielberg's homes.

From Spielberg's Collection:

                                                 

From Lucas' Collection:

Suerat, Georges. Bath at Asnieres. c.1883-84. National Gallery, London. Dali, Salvador. Woman at the Window (Muchacha en la Ventana). oil on board. 1925.
Vermeer, Johannes. A Young Woman Seated At a Virginal. c.1670-1672. Oil on Canvas. Private Collection, New York.
Rockwell, Norman. Let Nothing You Dismay. Ladies Home Journal. July 1941. oil on canvas. Collection of Steven Spielberg.
Rockwell, Norman. The Connossieur. The Saturday Evening Post. January 13, 1962. oil on canvasmounted on board. Collection of Steven Spielberg
Rockwell, Norman. First Trip to a Beauty Shop. Top Value trading stamp catalogue. 1972. oil on canvas. Collection of George Lucas.
Rockwell, Norman. Shadow Artist. The Country Gentleman. February 7, 1920. oil on canvas. Collection of George Lucas.
Rockwell, Norman. Can't Wait. Boy Scouts of America Calendar. 1972. charcoal on paper. Collection of George Lucas.
Rockwell, Norman. The Flirt. The Saturday Evening Post. July 26, 1941. oil on canvas. Collection of Steven Spielberg.