It must have led to some great conversations about that history...I found out about a Monument Man here in New Haven only after he had died. He was Sumner Crosby, who had taught at Yale and I knew as a local supporter of progressive causes. Great guy.
I know the art world is just agog with money. It's an old lament and I get it but the story on this painting is one of a great deal of pain. I'm glad I read about the saga in "The Lady in Gold" but I have to tell you, I went away from that book with more of a sense of outrage at the Austrians than anything else!
I'm not a big fan of Christie's. But it is what it is and exists in a time of an art bubble. And what you say about Lauder could indeed be true, not saying it isn't. All I could think about when I finished that book (which is very recent and I recommend it) was pure rage at Austria for piously claiming "patrimony" for a museum that profited nicely from exploiting Jews who were trying to save their lives and their family's lives and had to "donate" these and other items of value to the filthy Nazi loving Austrians. I am not Jewish but my granddaughters are so that gives me a decided stance on things like this.
Money does some good and lots of bad, lots of the time. I hate it when my republican friends who are art lovers talk about how the Medicis are practically single handedly responsible for the Early Renaissance. It burns me up, believe me, because I have done research and know about the role of labor in 15th century Florence.
Thanks for your insights! You must tell me more about what you learned from that Monument Man! Great stuff...
= new reply since forum marked as read
