In pursuit of masterpieces: the National Gallery of Art’s acquisitions from the Prince of Liechtenstein

• Autores: Arthur Kingsland Wheelock
• Localización: Artibus et historiae: an art anthology, ISSN 0391-9064, Nº. 83, 2021, págs. 313-332
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • In the aftermath of World War II, the National Gallery of Art acquired some of its greatest treasures of European art, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Ginevra de’Benci, from the collection of Prince Franz Josef II of Liechtenstein. The little-known story of these acquisitions, numbering over sixty paintings, sculptures, and graphic arts is complex, and involves the impact of political, financial, and interpersonal relationships on the fortunes of two major collections on opposite sides of the Atlantic, one in Washington and one in Vaduz. The present paper gives an account of the major contacts and negotiations, often undertaken through the intermediary of art dealers and private collectors, that helped facilitate the Gallery’s efforts to acquire major European masterpieces from the Princely Collections.