The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made
A Family Memoir
Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Individual Artist, Art History, Biography & Memoir
| Author: | Flora Miller Biddle | ISBN: | 9781628728095 |
| Publisher: | Skyhorse Publishing | Publication: | January 3, 2017 |
| Imprint: | Arcade Publishing | Language: | English |
| Author: | Flora Miller Biddle |
| ISBN: | 9781628728095 |
| Publisher: | Skyhorse Publishing |
| Publication: | January 3, 2017 |
| Imprint: | Arcade Publishing |
| Language: | English |
This true story of early twentieth-century New York is “crucial in understanding the evolution of the American art scene” (Library Journal).
Until Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney opened her studio—which evolved into the Whitney Museum almost two decades later—on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan in 1914, there were few art museums in the United States, let alone galleries for contemporary artists to exhibit their work. When the mansions of the wealthy cried out for art, they sought it from Europe, then the art capital of the world. It was in her tiny sculptor’s studio in Greenwich Village that Whitney began holding exhibitions of contemporary American artists.
This remarkable effort by a scion of America’s wealthiest family helped to change the way art was cultivated in America. The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made is a tale of high ideals, extraordinary altruism, and great dedication that stood steadfast against inflated egos, big businesses, intrigue, and greed. As Gertrude’s granddaughter, Flora Biddle carries on her tradition, and offers a remarkable story of three generations of forceful, indomitable women.
“Honest and intriguing . . . She is courageous in her revelations and astute in her observations of human behavior.” —The New York Times Book Review
This true story of early twentieth-century New York is “crucial in understanding the evolution of the American art scene” (Library Journal).
Until Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney opened her studio—which evolved into the Whitney Museum almost two decades later—on Eighth Avenue in Manhattan in 1914, there were few art museums in the United States, let alone galleries for contemporary artists to exhibit their work. When the mansions of the wealthy cried out for art, they sought it from Europe, then the art capital of the world. It was in her tiny sculptor’s studio in Greenwich Village that Whitney began holding exhibitions of contemporary American artists.
This remarkable effort by a scion of America’s wealthiest family helped to change the way art was cultivated in America. The Whitney Women and the Museum They Made is a tale of high ideals, extraordinary altruism, and great dedication that stood steadfast against inflated egos, big businesses, intrigue, and greed. As Gertrude’s granddaughter, Flora Biddle carries on her tradition, and offers a remarkable story of three generations of forceful, indomitable women.
“Honest and intriguing . . . She is courageous in her revelations and astute in her observations of human behavior.” —The New York Times Book Review
