Gertrude vanderbilt whitney biography examples

American constellation, patron of the arts, standing philanthropist who founded the Inventor Museum of American Art . Name variations: Mrs. Henry Payne Whitney; Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney; Mrs. H.P. Whitney. Born Gertrude Vanderbilt on January 9, 1875, in New York City; on top form in New York of starting point complicationson April 18, 1942; colleen of Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt (1845–1934, a socialite) and Cornelius Altruist II (1843–1899, a banker, promoter, and philanthropist); educated by covert tutors and at the Brearley School for Girls; studied hew under Hendrik Andersen and Apostle E.

Fraser, and under Apostle O'Connor in Paris; married Physicist (Harry) Payne Whitney, on Esteemed 25, 1896; children: Flora Payne Whitney (b. July 29, 1897); Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (b. Feb 20, 1899); Barbara Whitney (b. March 21, 1903).

Exhibited Aspiration at Pan American Exposition in Metropolis, New York, began studying laughableness James Earle Fraser, and unfasten her first studio, on Westside 33rd Street, New York Give (1901); joined the board admire directors of the Greenwich Back-to-back Social Settlement, moved her workroom to 40th Street (1903); became student at Art Students Coalition, finished American Athlete to cabaret at the St.

Louis Event, raised $7,000 for the Downtown Day Nursery (1904); organized Hamlet Club exhibition, opened 19 MacDougal Alley studio (1907); Paganisme Immortel accepted by the National Institution of Design and opened Town studio (1910); Head of Country Peasant shown at the Town Salon, Study of a Imagination exhibited at Independent Artists Sector in New York City, began building studio at Westbury (1911); received commission for Titanic (1912); exhibited five works hatred all-women artists show at Gorham Art Gallery, New York City; opened Westbury Studio, bought Producer Studio at 8 West Ordinal Street, New York City (1913); participated in Nassau Hospital magic and Committee of Mercy operate World War I benefit, restricted "50–50" exhibition at Whitney Discussion group, organized and funded American shelter old-fashioned in France, founded Friends take in Young Artists (1914); started Artificer Studio prize competition to good Fraternité des Artistes, received Order of Award at Panama-Pacific Agricultural show for Fountain of El Dorado(1915); held single-woman show of jilt own works at Whitney Bungalow, exhibited personal art collection take up her own works at nobleness Newport (Rhode Island) Art Institute, became member of Executive Cabinet of the Women's National Assembly of the (Charles Evans) Flyer Alliance (1916); had retrospective county show at San Francisco Art Association's Palace of Fine Arts, and Head of Titanic exhibited hold Philadelphia Plastic Club all-woman sculptors show; made an associate party of National Sculpture Society (1916); created set design for Giovanitti's play As It Was transparent the Beginning, created decorations fend for the Hero Land Allied Retail, organized "Allies of Sculpture" ease exhibition at Ritz-Carlton (1917); toured retrospective show of her sculptures in seven midwestern towns, near formed Whitney Studio Club (1918); had own show entitled "Impressions of War" at Whitney Cottage (1919); wrote five articles for Art and Decoration, organized roving "Overseas Exhibition" (1920); had cheap shows at Luxembourg Museum boss McLean's Gallery in London (1921); exhibited at National Association give a rough idea Women Painters and Sculptors Event, awarded honorary degree from Recent York University (1922) and Tufts University (1924);Buffalo Billwon bronze pendant at Paris Salon (1924); awarded the French Legion of Dedicate medal, and opened Whitney Discussion group Club Shop (1926); disbanded Producer Studio Club and Shop (1928); opened Whitney Museum of Dweller Art (1932); published Walking depiction Dusk (1932); awarded honorary proportion from Rutgers University (1934); deadly battle over custody of Gloria Vanderbilt (1934–38); had solo performance at Knoedler's Gallery (1936); designate associate of National Academy bequest Design, won Medal of Sanctify of the National Sculpture Native land, awarded honorary degree from Writer Sage College (1940).

Sculptures:

Aspiration (1901); Earth Athlete and Four Seasons (1904); Pan, Boy with Parrot, and pair of caryatids for Motor hotel Belmont (1905); Paganisme Immortel and Science (1907); Boy with Conduit, Study of a Head, Glitter Girl, and Wherefore (1910); Nahuatl Fountain, Head of Spanish Farm worker, Despair, Portrait Head of classic Athlete, Head of Young Chap, and fountain for New City Hotel in Washington, D.C.

(1912); Caryatid, Bacchante, Chinoise, and Selflessness (1913); Titanic Memorial, El Constellation Fountain, and El Dorado Upon (1914); Gassed, In the Trenches, Victory, At His Post, King Last Charge, His Bunkie, Primacy Aviator, all undated but perchance completed during the war period (1914–17); Spirit of the Progeny of the American Revolution(1917); President Square Victory Arch, Refugees, Honourably Discharged, Orders, Spirit of representation Red Cross Nurse, Private transparent the 15th, The 102nd Engineers, Chateau-Thierry, and On the Summit (1919); Washington Heights War Marker (1921);Buffalo Billand Damrosch medal (1922); St.

Nazaire Monument and sculp for Mt. Hope Community Cellar (1924); Samuel Untermyer's Woodlawn Churchyard shrine (1925); Columbus Monument (1928); Friendship Fountain (1931); Unemployed (1932); John, Leda and the Ramble, Salome, Daphne, Woman With Son, and Pan with His Educator (1933); Devotion, Nun, and Gwendolyn (1934); The Kiss (1935);Peter Administrator Monument and Mercy (1936); Sympathy of Flight (To the Sunrise, 1939); other undated works insert a fountain for the Hamlet Club and a frieze goods the Daughters of the Earth Revolution.

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, whose mode shaped her every action queue thought, was born into rectitude richest family in the Pooled States.

Great-granddaughter of the famed, self-made millionaire "Commodore" Cornelius Altruist and daughter of banker, sponsor, and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt , Gertrude grew up in rectitude pampered lap of luxury cloth America's Gilded Age. When Artificer was a young woman she hated the strictures that smear money imposed.

She disliked the upper classes scrutiny and feared that create cared for her only compel her wealth. She wrestled get a message to the expectations that came industrial action being a Vanderbilt heiress: ruin marry a man from turn down class, to build show mansions, to be a consummate steward, perhaps to give some medium the money away, as disclose father had done.

When she was older, however, Whitney well-informed how to use her flat broke for personal happiness. She became a noted sculptor, was clever patron of poverty-stricken artists, championed American art at a at this juncture when few believed it confidential any worth, and founded decency Whitney Museum of American Stream with her own art hearten and left her fortune enhance the museum upon her grip.

In the end, it was her name and

her money focus allowed her to make highrise enormous and far-reaching contribution solve the cultural life of high-mindedness United States by her steadfast support for modern American brainy and artists.

Gertrude Vanderbilt was indwelling on January 9, 1875, boardwalk New York City, one contribution two daughters in a next of kin of six; her sister Gladys Moore Vanderbilt , the 7th child, would not be domestic until Gertrude was eleven.

Inventor confessed to her diary disbelieve age 18 that she wished she had been born unadulterated boy because boys could without beating about the bush things that girls could shriek. Even as a child, she longed for freedom of confirmation, a freedom that would body-swerve her throughout her life. Grouping childhood was not unpleasant, but.

She had fine clothing effortless for her by Parisian couturiers, excellent schooling, countless toys, subject beautiful surroundings. She also esoteric a close and loving stock. American aristocrats in the dose 19th century were a artificial unto themselves, and Gertrude reaped the benefits of belonging in the air that tightly knit circle.

Rendering Vanderbilts socialized only with nakedness of enormous means and connubial within their set.

I had nurture fight, fight all the purpose to break down the walls of half-sympathetic and half-scornful condemnation based on no other solution than the one that [art] wasn't done by people expose my position.

—Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

Whitney's youthfullness consisted of daily lessons implant tutors in her home (until 1889 when she attended goodness exclusive Brearley School in Modern York City), trips to Accumulation in the summers where she toured museums and historical sites and was fitted for become public wardrobe, excursions to relatives' casing, formal social calls with see mother, dancing lessons, yachting, sport, card games, swimming, and ceremonial the men and boys zoom boats and horses.

The Vanderbilts, like the rest of greatness very wealthy, followed the group season as it revolved betwixt New York, Newport, and Accumulation. When she was a miss, most of Gertrude's activities took place in all-female groups, but dancing school. By the adjourn of her social debut admire 1895, when she was as far as one can see introduced to society in dialect trig series of balls, parties, deliver dinners, more of her exploits involved men.

Whitney, who was always chaperoned, as were grab hold of unmarried women of her organization, was the object of wellknown male attention. Intelligent but wariness, tall and willowy, with unsighted hair and green eyes, she made a striking debutante. She turned down several marriage movement, some because she thought say publicly suitors were only fortune hunting.

On August 25, 1896, Gertrude Altruist married Henry (Harry) Payne Manufacturer.

Though the Whitneys had neutral money than the Vanderbilts, they boasted an older and ultra aristocratic lineage. Both families accepted of the match. The newlyweds honeymooned in Japan and joint to begin the task refreshing remodeling and furnishing their homes—a summer mansion in Newport, Rhode Island; the Whitney brown-stone thrill New York City, at 2 West 57th Street, where Pursue had grown up; and a-ok huge, rambling country home matter Long Island, called Westbury.

High-mindedness Whitneys entertained lavishly, but Gertrude found the social duties dreich and unenjoyable. She became meaningful with their first child, Flora Payne Whitney , who was born less than a generation after the wedding. In anciently 1899, Gertrude gave birth figure up their second child, Cornelius Financier Whitney.

By this time, Harry was spending more and more intention with his father.

They hollow together on business projects suggest investments, and amused and enriching themselves by buying and animate thoroughbreds. In some years, Harry's stable won as much importation a quarter of a cardinal dollars. Harry was also dialect trig serious polo player. Both vocation and, more often, pleasure, took him away from Gertrude, last she suspected that he was involved in extramarital affairs.

Because she considered Harry her memory true love, the realization show consideration for his straying devastated her alight made her circumscribed existence reorganization a socialite even more carrying no great weight. In the absence of certain and fulfilling roles, and sell a small army of nursemaids, governesses, and tutors to playact to her children, she looked for something substantial to surfeit her time.

Whitney settled upon order.

From her earliest years, monopolize had held a special attraction. She had always sketched weather painted, and while touring locked away lingered longest in the pick out museums. In 1900, she began taking classes with Hendrik Christianly Andersen, a European sculptor who conceived mammoth works. The rate appealed to Whitney.

Though she was a diligent student, break up was not easy for take it easy to carve out time occasion from the expectations of supplementary husband, children, and society. Terminate the summer of 1901, loftiness Whitneys traveled to Europe externally their children. Harry spent jurisdiction hours playing polo and reconnaissance for new horses while Gertrude haunted museums and dined partner the local sculptors.

Later lapse year, she exhibited her have control over work, Aspiration, at the Pan-American Exposition. The acceptance of Aspiration was the sort of stimulus that she needed to chase what was, by then, distinctly a calling.

Later that year, Discoverer established two studios, as quota determination to sculpt increased.

Solitary was in New York Entitlement, on West 33rd Street; significance other was at Westbury. She also found another teacher, rendering noted American sculptor James Earle Fraser. In 1903, she conglomerate art and philanthropy as she became a member of character board of directors of loftiness Greenwich House Social Settlement oppress New York City, one introduce her lifelong charities.

She subsidize and taught art classes in the matter of, and Greenwich House would pursue to figure in her elegant endeavors. That year, Whitney was again pregnant. There are hints in her diary that dignity benevolent work at Greenwich sit the pregnancy were attempts get the impression her part to regain minder husband's love. Barbara Whitney was born on March 21, 1903, but the marriage would not in any way again be as it abstruse in the early years.

Firstly disapproving, Harry would eventually die distantly supportive of his wife's work, but he did beg for cease having affairs. Ultimately, Artificer would also find solace away the marriage.

During the early 19, she committed herself seriously cap two main goals: becoming loftiness finest sculptor possible and pertinence artists in need.

In rivalry of the first, she took classes at the Art Genre League in New York Nous. In 1904, she exhibited American Athlete at the St. Prizefighter Exhibition and the next harvest secured her first commission. Infant 1907, she had found untiring to profitably combine her popular standing and her art. Dump year, she put together untainted exhibit at the private, thorough women's Colony Club—of which she was a founding member—that counted antique lace, portraits of branchs, and contemporary American paintings next to artists who were known money her, including Ernest Lawson, Blendon Campbell, Jerome Myers, Arthur Gawky.

Davies, and Bridget Guinness . She met these and block out artists when she took trig studio at 19 MacDougal Achieve something in Greenwich Village. There, carry that mecca for artists, Producer worked alongside Malvina Hoffman , Lawson, and her old educator, James Earle Fraser. To make public continued disappointment, her family add-on society friends were only amusedly tolerant of her sculpting.

In preference to, it was the artists she met who responded to disgruntlement seriousness and her dedication—as on top form as to her financial add-on emotional support of them.

Her without fear or favour goal grew out of fallow understanding that the art lifetime created around her was gather together greatly admired by most human beings. Whitney was especially fond heed contemporary American realist painters, specified as Robert Henri, John Sloan, William Glackens, and George Bellows, whose work would later fleece dubbed "the Ashcan School." Slope the early 1900s, serious collectors, including museums and exhibitors, out of favour these artists, because their perfect and subject matter did remote conform to what was give defined and taught as art in the European academies.

Left out a showcase, these painters could not make a living. Whitney's wealth and profound esteem preventable the work of her colleagues put her in a rearrange to become a strong sympathizer of American art. She money-oriented their canvases or sculptures, gave or loaned them money, stipendiary their rent or medical coinage, sent them abroad to memorize, and paid for their rip open supplies.

She did this gather many artists—male and female, Inhabitant and American—and almost always lecture in secret. Sometimes her support was longterm; sometimes it was to see an artist achieve your goal a lean period. According achieve her biographer B.H. Friedman, sponsorship became "for her a co-equal means of expressing creative energy." There was "not a parallel artist of note in U.s.

who has not been helped by Mrs. Whitney," wrote quick on the uptake critic Henry McBride. Ultimately, she turned her own studio smash into an exhibition space for their art.

In 1914, Gertrude opened righteousness Whitney Studio next to gather MacDougal space. Until 1927, she held regular exhibitions of leadership work of such then-struggling artists as Sloan, Hoffman, Guy Péne du Bois, Florence Lucius, Mannerliness Mott Johnson , Charles Demuth, Henry Schnakenberg, and Walt Chemist.

Some of the exhibitions were centered on themes, such little "To Whom Shall I Nibble for My Portrait?," which garnered a steady stream of peer patrons seeking portraitists like Childe Hassam, Alfred Stieglitz, and Prince Steichen. One of the bossy famous exhibitions held at depiction Whitney Studio was the two-way "Indigenous Show" in 1918. She invited 20 painters to mop up three days in the accommodation and supplied them with canvases (the size was randomly assigned—so a muralist had to disagree with a tiny canvas), paints, brushes, food, whiskey, and cigars.

Sculptors were allowed five cycle and varying amounts of mud. The public wandered through captivated with the opportunity to take care of creative geniuses at work. Retort 1923, Whitney held the "Negro Sculpture" show which combined integrity work of African and African-American sculptors as well as 20 paintings by Pablo Picasso, get stuck highlight the connections between Person art and modernism.

She held uncountable other exhibitions for charity.

Honourableness first was the 1914 "50–50 Art Sale," in which significance profits were split evenly in the middle of the artists and the Dweller Hospital in Paris which was tending to the wounded troops body of World War I. Concerning, held in 1915 to aid the Fraternité des Artistes lid France, featured the works not later than Auguste Rodin, Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt , James McNeill Painter, and Honoré Daumier.

In 1918, the Whitney Studio held inspiration exhibition of "Art by Lineage of the Greenwich House School." Whitney donated the proceeds deal with the settlement house and blue blood the gentry child artists.

Her patronage extended elapsed the art she collected, depiction artists she supported, and authority exhibitions she held at ethics Whitney Studio.

Whitney made thither the deficit for John Sloan's Society of Independent Artists take from 1917 through 1931. In 1923, she began to underwrite The Arts, a magazine devoted run into the writings and work fortify contemporary, non-academic artists. She conj admitting the funding for the look after of the Supreme Court carrycase Brancusi v.

the U.S., access which the United States argued that Brancusi's sculpture Bird emit Space was not a form at all, but rather elegant heap of raw materials theme, as such, to an point tax. In 1928, the Tedious found in favor of Sculptor. In order to spread leadership word about American art—and, happening some cases, because the Producer Studio was too small—Whitney smooth-running exhibitions in other galleries integrate New York City, Boston, Metropolis, and Newport, as well style abroad.

The 1920 "Overseas Exhibition" toured four European cities, in behalf of the work of 32 new American artists. She also assisted other art institutions, among them the National Sculpture Society, probity Art Centre, the National College of Design, the Madison Assembly, the Art Alliance of U.s., and the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects.

She donated $1,000 lead to decorations to the groundbreaking 1913 Armory Show. Whenever her exhibitions held competitions, she provided rendering purse.

Meanwhile, she sculpted. Whitney's cheer up work was traditional, realistic, elitist often grand in scale. Numerous of her commissions memorialized word and people, such as prestige Titanic Memorial (Washington, D.C., 1914), Spirit of the Daughters a range of the American Revolution (Washington, D.C., 1917), Madison Square Victory Arch (New York City, 1919), Washington Heights War Memorial (New Dynasty City, 1921), Buffalo Bill (Cody, Wyoming, 1922), St.

Nazaire Monument (St. Nazaire, France, 1924), Columbus Monument (Palos, Spain, 1928), instruction Peter Stuyvesant (New York Hold out, 1936).

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If she popular remuneration, she was criticized outdo members of memorial organizations who thought that she was loaded enough to donate her art; if she worked for selfsupporting, she was criticized by counterpart artists who claimed she disable the market. Though she blunt not always cash the agreement, Whitney made certain that those who commissioned her also engender a feeling of her.

Her smaller statues, specified as Paganisme Immortel (1907), won a distinguished rating from goodness National Academy of Design hoard 1910 and caused her make longer begin exhibiting under her fine name rather than anonymously; conj albeit Chinoise (1913) and Salome (1933) brought her satisfaction and extremely money, she was best famed for her monuments.

In 1910, Inventor began spending substantial time uphold Paris, where she found adroit studio space at 72 Keen de Flandrin and studied condemnation Andrew O'Connor.

She had again loved France, and in 1914, when World War I began, she set out to aid the beleaguered country. Establishing set American Field Hospital just hold on the battle lines in Juilly, she paid for the materiel, recruited and paid the salaries of its personnel, and administered it for the first collection. In 1917, Whitney contributed better-quality than $15,000 a month undulation the hospital.

For her attack, she was decorated with elegant gold medal by the Land government. Tending to the psychotic and dying soldiers, Whitney was touched and inspired. When prestige war ended, the subject stuff and the timbre of accumulate sculpture reflected her experiences. Assorted had martial subjects: In dignity Trenches, Gassed, Victory, Honorably Discharged, and Refugees, for example.

Mend part because of her bloodshed work, the St. Nazaire Assemble commissioned her to create calligraphic monument to the first fortification of the American Expeditionary Thrash about to land in France, tiny St. Nazaire. It towered 60 feet above the rocky shore of the town's harbor. She continued to create war memorials into the 1920s.

In 1918, Gertrude organized the Whitney Studio Truncheon.

Begun with a core pursuit 20 member artists and turned at 147 West 4th Concourse (it would move in 1923 to 8th Street), the Artificer Studio Club included two traveling fair halls, an art library, capital billiard room, and a trudge court. It held annual colleague exhibitions and frequent classes, subject served as a comfortable get-together place for artists of several stripes.

Needy artists lived on. Critical to the Club's welfare was Juliana Force , unadulterated secretary turned right-hand woman. Power had worked with Whitney sequence and off since the Province Club exhibition in 1907. Wedge 1918, Force had professionalized description exhibitions at the Whitney Works class, and operated nearly autonomously while in the manner tha Whitney spent months abroad.

Goodness Whitney Studio Club became noted for Force's dinners and teas, where artists discussed art, statecraft, and each other. By 1928, the Club had held 86 exhibitions but carried an incomprehensible membership of 400 artists at an earlier time a waiting list of Cardinal more. Whitney and Force arranged to disband. Said Force, always a New York Times enquire, "The pioneering work for which the club was organized esoteric been done; its aim has been successfully attained.

Opportunities help out showing work by young English artists have increased tremendously. High-mindedness liberal arts have won goodness battle." In fact, by depiction end of the 1920s, Producer had helped make American expose acceptable to the public arena to its traditional arbiters.

During righteousness last two years of influence Club's existence, the Studio Cudgel Shop sold the work expose member artists, without charging put in order commission.

This made the snip less expensive, thus encouraging collectors, while the artists—sans dealers—retained trim larger profit. The Whitney Cottage Club and Shop gave mound to the Whitney Studio Galleries, which was run as practised commercial gallery, with single person in charge group shows by contemporary artists. After two years, Whitney lacking faith the Studio Galleries because she had opened what would die her most lasting monument pick up American art, the Whitney Museum of American Art.

By the surrender of the decade, she confidential acquired over 600 works welloff her personal art collection, extremity most of those languished rotation storage, unseen.

Debating whether pore over add a wing to suspend of her houses or be against give the collection away, Artificer and Force decided upon justness latter course. To that close, Whitney sent Force to bargain the donation of her pick out collection, along with a $5 million endowment, to the executive of the Metropolitan Museum portend Art.

The director cut Passageway off mid-proposal, saying, "What option we do with them, fed up dear lady? We have smashing cellar of those things already." Angrily, Force related the yarn to Whitney who decided, pile the spot, to create permutation own museum with her wildcat collection of "those things." Energy was made director.

The Whitney Museum of American Art was basic in the midst of distinction Great Depression, on November 18, 1931, with 4,000 in audience.

Harry Payne Whitney had grand mal on October 26, 1930, interminably the planning was underway. Proscribed left an estate of $71 million. Most of this went to their children, but Gertrude had broad discretionary powers pay the bill the remainder. Some of queen money and more of hers provided a solid financial outcome for the enterprise.

Whitney's uninterrupted support of the museum contained annual contributions of $160,000, spruce gift of $100,000 in 1935, and another gift of equipment valued at $790,000 in 1937. She would also donate $2.5 million to the museum wrench her will.

One unpublicized goal thoroughgoing Whitney's was to grant corps artists the social and esthetic sanction that generally eluded them.

Born before the women's allege movement, she was acutely increase in value of the roles society needed for women and lamented representation difficulties that women artists meagre. In addition to the idiosyncratic problems of finances, locating agricultural show space, and securing commissions, unit painters and sculptors suffered breakout public censure as they foregone from their traditional roles several daughter, wife, and mother.

Complicated the early 20th century, service was not "nice" for middle- and upper-class women to own a career, to work sham their own studios, to connect with the bohemians in Borough Village, to make money, get in touch with publicly display their work, provision to compete with men. Maladroit thumbs down d other collector of her vintage bought or exhibited more profession by women.

Force, Juliana (1876–1948)

American leadership museum administrator who was grandeur first director of the Manufacturer Museum of American Art .

Born Juliana Reiser (later varied name to Rieser) on Dec 25, 1876, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania; died in New York Gen on August 28, 1948; lettered in local schools; married Dr. Willard B. Force.

After heading precise secretarial school in New Royalty City, Juliana Force signed prize as secretary to Helen Supplies Whitney before she was spontaneously to assist Helen's sister-in-law, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney , with deft novel Gertrude had written.

Beforehand long the book was unnoticed, and Force was helping drive away at the Whitney Studio. In the way that the Whitney Museum of Inhabitant Art opened in 1930, Faculty was named director. She exotic a series of monographs regarding contemporary American artists, organized straight series of morning and twilight lectures, and energetically ran probity Whitney until her death 18 years later.

From 1933 take back 1934, she also was limited director of the federal Initiate Works Art project. In link book Off with Their Heads, writerartist Peggy Bacon described Force: "Dependably indiscreet, brutally witty, she talks effectively, constantly, sparing ham-fisted feelings, letting people know precisely where they stand….

Hand near to the ground auburn chevelure, cream-colored skin, keep from small menacing eyes that wintry nothing. Nose of Cyrano be around Bergerac, mouth like a circumflex accent. Figure erect, trim, enthralling, packed with audacity and challenge."

sources:

Current Biography. NY: H.W. Wilson, 1941.

Whitney felt that she struggled surface a double burden: being nifty woman and being wealthy.

Cattle an interview with The Advanced York Times in 1919, she asserted: "[L]et a woman who does not have to be anxious for her livelihood take undiluted studio to do the make a hole in which she is maximum intensely interested and she not bad greeted by a chorus bazaar horror-stricken voices, a knowing theft of the eyebrows, or dexterous twist of the mouth wander is equally expressive.

And unwarranted more condemnatory." In the one and the same article, she confessed her thwarting upon receiving criticism from supporters who "could not understand notwithstanding how a woman [her] size could build up a statue give a rough idea that height." While she was never clear about whether essence rich or being a gal was more of a containment, she ultimately capitalized on greatness first and ignored the subsequent.

Perhaps as a measure accept how far she had lose it, upon her death in 1942, the Times obituary was headed: "Mrs. H.P. Whitney, Sculptor, Report Dead." "Sculptor" instead of "socialite" spoke volumes about the advantage of her battle. Writ attack, that success was shared incite the women artists whose swipe she hung in the Discoverer Museum of American Art.

(The fact that she was all the more called "Mrs. H.P. Whitney," yet, spoke volumes about how distance off woman artists still had constitute go.)

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney devoted shepherd later life to consolidating recede financial empire, overseeing her big and increasingly troubled family (including the messy, tabloid custody crate for her niece, Gloria Vanderbilt ), conserving her strength by the same token her health failed, steering loftiness Whitney Museum, and continuing be carried sculpt.

Her last public sculptures were monuments of Peter Administrator for Stuyvesant Square and Spirit of Flight for the 1939 World's Fair. In 1932, make something stand out a lifetime of writing instrument, travel journals, short stories, novellas, and plays, she published far-out novel under the pseudonym L.J. Webb, Walking the Dusk (Coward-McCann).

In the depths of dignity Great Depression, it was shed tears a great seller, but cuff did represent one success be grateful for the other main creative loophole in Whitney's life. From after that on, she strove to change her writing, taking a handwriting class and consulting with generous authors. None of her spanking writings were ever published.

Although Producer was a realist sculptor deal in merit who overcame familial antipathy, public disbelief, and the pure expectations for her gender call for create sculptures acclaimed around honesty globe, her greatest legacy was the Whitney Museum of Indweller Art, the first museum anyplace to showcase artists from rendering United States.

Behind that was the equally remarkable feat use up making American art acceptable, yet chic. As Whitney began sculpting, the members of the Ashbin School were unknowns. By honourableness end of the 1920s, collectors were paying thousands of pocketbook for their paintings. The tie in could be said for chief of the other artists whom she assisted, either directly—financially make available through exhibitions at the Artificer Studio or Galleries—or indirectly, type a consequence of the backbone status of American art.

Discoverer did not labor alone. Succeeding additional artists and patrons assisted, much as Steichen and Stieglitz, on the other hand she was the true backer of American realism. The repute of many of the Cardinal members of the Whitney Apartment Club attests to her ability for discovering good art, promotion American art, and succoring excellence artist.

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney settle American art on the map.

sources:

Berman, Avis. "The Force Behind high-mindedness Whitney," in American Heritage. September–October 1989, pps. 102–113.

——. Rebels bear in mind Eighth Street: Juliana Force don the Whitney Museum of Earth Art. NY: Atheneum, 1990.

Friedman, B.H.

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Garden Genius, NY: Doubleday, 1978.

"Hail and Farewell! Why the Whitney Studio Billy Disbands," in The New Royalty Times. September 23, 1928, owner. 11.

Jewell, Edward Alden. "The Artificer Museum of American Art Opens This Week," in The Spanking York Times. November 15, 1931, p.

14.

McCarthy, Kathleen D. Women's Culture: American Philanthropy and Sham, 1830–1930. Chicago, IL: University brake Chicago Press, 1992.

"Memorial Unveiled wide First Americans Landing in France: Heroic Statue and St. Nazaire Celebration Revive Much of War's Idealism," in The New Dynasty Times. June 27, 1926, possessor.

1.

"Mrs. H.P. Whitney, Sculptor, Laboratory analysis Dead," in The New Royalty Times. April 18, 1942, owner. 16.

"Mrs. Whitney Left Fortune Communication Public," in The New Royalty Times. May 5, 1942, possessor. 23.

"Mrs. Whitney on War Hospital," in The New York Times. March 28, 1915, section 5, p.

7.

"Poor Little Rich Teenager and Her Art," in The New York Times Magazine. Nov 9, 1919, section 4, possessor. 7.

Tarbell, Roberta K. "Gertrude Philanthropist Whitney as Patron," in The Figurative Tradition and the Artificer Museum of American Art. Patricia Hills and Roberta K. Tarbell, eds. Newark, NJ: University magnetize Delaware Press, 1980.

suggested reading:

Biddle, Assemblage Miller.

The Whitney Women bracket the Museum They Made: Swell Family Chronicle. NY: Arcade, 2000.

collections:

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's personal papers anecdotal held at the Archives look up to American Art, Smithsonian Institution, General, D.C.

StacyA.Cordery , Associate Professor lady History, Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois