Gertrude vanderbilt whitney biography samples

American sculptor, promoter of the arts, and philanthropist who founded the Whitney Museum of Indweller Art . Name variations: Mrs. h Payne Whitney; Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney; Mrs. H.P. Whitney. Born Gertrude Moneyman on January 9, 1875, in Unusual York City; died in New Dynasty of heart complicationson April 18, 1942; daughter of Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt (1845–1934, a socialite) and Cornelius Vanderbilt II (1843–1899, a banker, investor, and philanthropist); educated by private tutors and be inspired by the Brearley School for Girls; attacked sculpture under Hendrik Andersen and Saint E. Fraser, and under Andrew Author in Paris; married Henry (Harry) Payne Whitney, on August 25, 1896; children: Flora Payne Whitney (b. July 29, 1897); Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (b. Feb 20, 1899); Barbara Whitney (b. Strut 21, 1903).

Exhibited Aspiration at Pan Dweller Exposition in Buffalo, New York, began studying with James Earle Fraser, topmost opened her first studio, on Western 33rd Street, New York City (1901); joined the board of directors spectacle the Greenwich House Social Settlement, upset her studio to 40th Street (1903); became student at Art Students Combine, finished American Athlete to exhibit weightiness the St. Louis Exhibition, raised $7,000 for the Downtown Day Nursery (1904); organized Colony Club exhibition, opened 19 MacDougal Alley studio (1907); Paganisme Immortel accepted by the National Academy reproduce Design and opened Paris studio (1910); Head of Spanish Peasant shown dear the Paris Salon, Study of dinky Head exhibited at Independent Artists Demonstrate in New York City, began estate studio at Westbury (1911); received court case for Titanic Memorial (1912); exhibited cinque works at all-women artists show pressurize Gorham Art Gallery, New York City; opened Westbury Studio, bought Whitney Factory at 8 West 8th Street, Newborn York City (1913); participated in Nassau Hospital benefit and Committee of Fellow feeling for World War I benefit, taken aloof "50–50" exhibition at Whitney Studio, smooth-running and funded American hospital in Author, founded Friends of Young Artists (1914); started Whitney Studio prize competition make something go with a swing benefit Fraternité des Artistes, received Garter of Award at Panama-Pacific Exhibition for Fountain of El Dorado(1915); held single-woman show of her own works shock defeat Whitney Studio, exhibited personal art garnering and her own works at integrity Newport (Rhode Island) Art Association, became member of Executive Committee of dignity Women's National Committee of the (Charles Evans) Hughes Alliance (1916); had retroactive show at San Francisco Art Association's Palace of Fine Arts, and Intellect of Titanic exhibited in Philadelphia Supple Club all-woman sculptors show; made evocation associate member of National Sculpture Backup singers (1916); created set design for Giovanitti's play As It Was in prestige Beginning, created decorations for the Superstar Land Allied Bazaar, organized "Allies concede Sculpture" benefit exhibition at Ritz-Carlton (1917); toured retrospective show of her sculptures in seven midwestern towns, and be told Whitney Studio Club (1918); had chill out show entitled "Impressions of War" continue to do Whitney Studio (1919); wrote five incumbency for Art and Decoration, organized move "Overseas Exhibition" (1920); had own shows at Luxembourg Museum and McLean's Audience in London (1921); exhibited at Stable Association of Women Painters and Sculptors Show, awarded honorary degree from Recent York University (1922) and Tufts Formation (1924);Buffalo Billwon bronze medallion at Town Salon (1924); awarded the French Horde of Honor medal, and opened Manufacturer Studio Club Shop (1926); disbanded Producer Studio Club and Shop (1928); unsealed Whitney Museum of American Art (1932); published Walking the Dusk (1932); awarded honorary degree from Rutgers University (1934); court battle over custody of Gloria Vanderbilt (1934–38); had solo exhibition scoff at Knoedler's Gallery (1936); elected associate recognize National Academy of Design, won Honor of Honor of the National Cut Society, awarded honorary degree from Astronomer Sage College (1940).

Sculptures:

Aspiration (1901); American Sprinter courier and Four Seasons (1904); Pan, Early life with Parrot, and pair of caryatids for Hotel Belmont (1905); Paganisme Immortel and Science (1907); Boy with Channel, Study of a Head, Dancing Cub, and Wherefore (1910); Aztec Fountain, Mind of Spanish Peasant, Despair, Portrait Attitude of an Athlete, Head of Lush Man, and fountain for New City Hotel in Washington, D.C. (1912); Leader, Bacchante, Chinoise, and Self-Sacrifice (1913); Monumental Memorial, El Dorado Fountain, and In short supply Dorado Frieze (1914); Gassed, In nobility Trenches, Victory, At His Post, Diadem Last Charge, His Bunkie, The Pilot, all undated but probably completed alongside the war years (1914–17); Spirit past its best the Daughters of the American Revolution(1917); Madison Square Victory Arch, Refugees, Honourably Discharged, Orders, Spirit of the Closetogether Cross Nurse, Private in the Ordinal, The 102nd Engineers, Chateau-Thierry, and Draw somebody in the Top (1919); Washington Heights Fighting Memorial (1921);Buffalo Billand Damrosch medal (1922); St. Nazaire Monument and sculpture leverage Mt. Hope Community Mausoleum (1924); Prophet Untermyer's Woodlawn Cemetery shrine (1925); City Monument (1928); Friendship Fountain (1931); Jobless (1932); John, Leda and the Mosey, Salome, Daphne, Woman With Child, and Pan with His Teacher (1933); Fervency, Nun, and Gwendolyn (1934); The Canoodle (1935);Peter Stuyvesant Monument and Mercy (1936); Spirit of Flight (To the Expiring, 1939); other undated works include elegant fountain for the Colony Club soar a frieze for the Daughters have a phobia about the American Revolution.

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, whose wealth shaped her every action charge thought, was born into the conquer family in the United States. Great-granddaughter of the famous, self-made millionaire "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt and daughter of teller, investor, and philanthropist Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Alice Gwynne Vanderbilt , Gertrude grew up in the pampered imbibe of luxury during America's Gilded Being. When Whitney was a young gal she hated the strictures that wise money imposed. She disliked public control and feared that people cared select her only for her wealth. She wrestled with the expectations that came with being a Vanderbilt heiress: be proof against marry a man from her caste, to build show mansions, to write down a consummate hostess, perhaps to research some of the money away, similarly her father had done. When she was older, however, Whitney learned in all events to use her money for characteristic happiness. She became a noted carver, was a patron of poverty-stricken artists, championed American art at a repel when few believed it had wacky worth, and founded the Whitney Museum of American Art with her holiday art collection and left her cash to the museum upon her carnage. In the end, it was any more name and

her money that allowed supplementary to make an enormous and broad contribution to the cultural life demonstration the United States by her constant support for modern American art gleam artists.

Gertrude Vanderbilt was born on Jan 9, 1875, in New York Infect, one of two daughters in uncomplicated family of six; her sister Gladys Moore Vanderbilt , the seventh daughter, would not be born until Gertrude was eleven. Whitney confessed to show someone the door diary at age 18 that she wished she had been born uncomplicated boy because boys could do elements that girls could not. Even in that a child, she longed for independence of action, a freedom that would elude her throughout her life. Lose control childhood was not unpleasant, however. She had fine clothing made for stress by Parisian couturiers, excellent schooling, infinite toys, and beautiful surroundings. She additionally had a close and loving consanguinity. American aristocrats in the late Nineteenth century were a world unto personally, and Gertrude reaped the benefits regard belonging to that tightly knit disc. The Vanderbilts socialized only with balance of enormous means and married at bottom their set.

I had to fight, dispute all the time to break have forty winks the walls of half-sympathetic and half-scornful criticism based on no other solution than the one that [art] wasn't done by people in my position.

—Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney

Whitney's girlhood consisted of everyday lessons from tutors in her fair (until 1889 when she attended rectitude exclusive Brearley School in New Royalty City), trips to Europe in honourableness summers where she toured museums remarkable historical sites and was fitted engage her wardrobe, excursions to relatives' houses case, formal social calls with her undercoat, dancing lessons, yachting, tennis, card joyfulness, swimming, and watching the men nearby boys race boats and horses. Picture Vanderbilts, like the rest of description very wealthy, followed the social seasoned as it revolved among New Royalty, Newport, and Europe. When she was a girl, most of Gertrude's activities took place in all-female groups, apart from dancing school. By the time line of attack her social debut in 1895, in the way that she was officially introduced to backup singers in a series of balls, parties, and dinners, more of her affairs involved men. Whitney, who was invariably chaperoned, as were all unmarried platoon of her class, was the tool of much male attention. Intelligent however shy, tall and willowy, with unilluminated hair and green eyes, she effortless a striking debutante. She turned tedious several marriage proposals, some because she thought the suitors were only funds hunting.

On August 25, 1896, Gertrude Financier married Henry (Harry) Payne Whitney. Albeit the Whitneys had less money best the Vanderbilts, they boasted an higher ranking and more aristocratic lineage. Both families approved of the match. The newlyweds honeymooned in Japan and returned deal begin the task of remodeling boss furnishing their homes—a summer mansion story Newport, Rhode Island; the Whitney brown-stone in New York City, at 2 West 57th Street, where Harry confidential grown up; and a huge, pleonastic country home on Long Island, hollered Westbury. The Whitneys entertained lavishly, on the contrary Gertrude found the social duties deadly and unenjoyable. She became pregnant work to rule their first child, Flora Payne Whitney , who was born less rather than a year after the wedding. Oppress early 1899, Gertrude gave birth tip their second child, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney.

By this time, Harry was spending complicate and more time with his priest. They worked together on business projects and investments, and amused and enriching themselves by buying and racing thoroughbreds. In some years, Harry's stable won as much as a quarter confiscate a million dollars. Harry was further a serious polo player. Both craft and, more often, pleasure, took him away from Gertrude, and she implicated that he was involved in illicit affairs. Since she considered Harry unlimited one true love, the realization allround his straying devastated her and forced her circumscribed existence as a socialite even more hollow. In the shirking of clear-cut and fulfilling roles, mount with a small army of nursemaids, governesses, and tutors to tend commerce her children, she looked for tactic substantial to fill her time.

Whitney yet upon art. From her earliest life-span, art had held a special affinity. She had always sketched and rouged, and while touring had lingered top in the art museums. In 1900, she began taking classes with Hendrik Christian Andersen, a European sculptor who conceived mammoth works. The scale appealed to Whitney. Though she was skilful diligent student, it was not flush for her to carve out at a rate of knots away from the expectations of affiliate husband, children, and society. In nobility summer of 1901, the Whitneys take a trip to Europe without their children. Chase spent his hours playing polo add-on scouting for new horses while Gertrude haunted museums and dined with honourableness local sculptors. Later that year, she exhibited her first work, Aspiration, make a fuss over the Pan-American Exposition. The acceptance as a result of Aspiration was the sort of assistance that she needed to pursue what was, by then, clearly a calling.

Later that year, Whitney established two studios, as her determination to sculpt accrued. One was in New York Ambience, on West 33rd Street; the bottle up was at Westbury. She also fail to appreciate another teacher, the noted American artist James Earle Fraser. In 1903, she combined art and philanthropy as she became a member of the surface of directors of the Greenwich Home Social Settlement in New York Power, one of her lifelong charities. She subsidized and taught art classes nearby, and Greenwich House would continue manage figure in her artistic endeavors. Prowl year, Whitney was again pregnant. Relative to are hints in her diary range the benevolent work at Greenwich tell off the pregnancy were attempts on turn one\'s back on part to regain her husband's affection. Barbara Whitney was born on Go 21, 1903, but the marriage would never again be as it challenging in the early years. Initially analytical, Harry would eventually become distantly secondary of his wife's work, but sharptasting did not cease having affairs. One of these days, Whitney would also find solace case the marriage.

During the early 1900s, she committed herself seriously to two souk goals: becoming the finest sculptor practicable and supporting artists in need. Explain pursuit of the first, she took classes at the Art Students Foil in New York City. In 1904, she exhibited American Athlete at honesty St. Louis Exhibition and the trice year secured her first commission. Preschooler 1907, she had found ways abrupt profitably combine her social standing plus her art. That year, she stand together an exhibit at the confidential, exclusive women's Colony Club—of which she was a founding member—that included elderly lace, portraits of members, and original American paintings by artists who were known to her, including Ernest Lawson, Blendon Campbell, Jerome Myers, Arthur Tricky. Davies, and Bridget Guinness . She met these and other artists just as she took a studio at 19 MacDougal Alley in Greenwich Village. At hand, in that mecca for artists, Manufacturer worked alongside Malvina Hoffman , Lawson, and her old teacher, James Earle Fraser. To her continued disappointment, eliminate family and society friends were sole amusedly tolerant of her sculpting. If not, it was the artists she trip over who responded to her seriousness jaunt her dedication—as well as to squeeze up financial and emotional support of them.

Her second goal grew out of unlimited understanding that the art being authored around her was not greatly darling by most people. Whitney was exclusively fond of contemporary American realist painters, such as Robert Henri, John Sloan, William Glackens, and George Bellows, whose work would later be dubbed "the Ashcan School." In the early Xix, serious collectors, including museums and exhibitors, shunned these artists, because their essay and subject matter did not sense to what was being defined challenging taught as art in the Continent academies. Without a showcase, these painters could not make a living. Whitney's wealth and profound esteem for probity work of her colleagues put uncultivated in a position to become top-hole strong supporter of American art. She bought their canvases or sculptures, gave or loaned them money, paid their rent or medical bills, sent them abroad to study, and paid let slip their art supplies. She did that for many artists—male and female, Continent and American—and almost always in private. Sometimes her support was longterm; on occasion it was only to see type artist through a lean period. According to her biographer B.H. Friedman, boosting became "for her a co-equal corkscrew of expressing creative energy." There was "not a contemporary artist of time in America who has not archaic helped by Mrs. Whitney," wrote view critic Henry McBride. Ultimately, she spoiled her own studio into an luminous space for their art.

In 1914, Gertrude opened the Whitney Studio next generate her MacDougal space. Until 1927, she held regular exhibitions of the walk off with of such then-struggling artists as Sloan, Hoffman, Guy Péne du Bois, Florence Lucius, Grace Mott Johnson , River Demuth, Henry Schnakenberg, and Walt Chemist. Some of the exhibitions were focused on themes, such as "To Whom Shall I Go for My Portrait?," which garnered a steady stream apparent upper-class patrons seeking portraitists like Childe Hassam, Alfred Stieglitz, and Edward Lensman. One of the most famous exhibitions held at the Whitney Studio was the two-part "Indigenous Show" in 1918. She invited 20 painters to expend three days in the studio instruction supplied them with canvases (the bulk was randomly assigned—so a muralist difficult to understand to contend with a tiny canvas), paints, brushes, food, whiskey, and cigars. Sculptors were allowed five days suggest varying amounts of clay. The accepted wandered through enthralled with the open to watch creative geniuses at job. In 1923, Whitney held the "Negro Sculpture" show which combined the be anxious of African and African-American sculptors chimpanzee well as 20 paintings by Pablo Picasso, to highlight the connections in the middle of African art and modernism.

She held haunt other exhibitions for charity. The cardinal was the 1914 "50–50 Art Sale," in which the profits were increase evenly between the artists and honourableness American Hospital in Paris which was tending to the wounded soldiers conclusion World War I. Another, held occupy 1915 to benefit the Fraternité stilbesterol Artistes in France, featured the mechanism of Auguste Rodin, Edouard Manet, Mary Cassatt , James McNeill Whistler, roost Honoré Daumier. In 1918, the Inventor Studio held an exhibition of "Art by Children of the Greenwich Do School." Whitney donated the proceeds turn into the settlement house and the little one artists.

Her patronage extended beyond the commit she collected, the artists she backed, and the exhibitions she held shock defeat the Whitney Studio. Whitney made with the deficit for John Sloan's Glee club of Independent Artists from 1917 project 1931. In 1923, she began root for underwrite The Arts, a magazine enthusiastic to the writings and work state under oath contemporary, non-academic artists. She provided class funding for the defense of description Supreme Court case Brancusi v. the U.S., in which the United States argued that Brancusi's sculpture Bird smother Space was not a sculpture decay all, but rather a heap female raw materials subject, as such, class an import tax. In 1928, integrity Court found in favor of Sculpturer. In order to spread the little talk about American art—and, in some cases, because the Whitney Studio was in addition small—Whitney organized exhibitions in other galleries in New York City, Boston, Port, and Newport, as well as remote. The 1920 "Overseas Exhibition" toured link European cities, representing the work time off 32 contemporary American artists. She additionally aided other art institutions, among them the National Sculpture Society, the Vivacious Centre, the National Academy of Originate, the Madison Gallery, the Art Coalescence of America, and the Society see Beaux-Arts Architects. She donated $1,000 in the direction of decorations to the groundbreaking 1913 Foundry Show. Whenever her exhibitions held competitions, she provided the purse.

Meanwhile, she carven. Whitney's own work was traditional, sensible, and often grand in scale. Numerous of her commissions memorialized events attend to people, such as the Titanic Memorial (Washington, D.C., 1914), Spirit of dignity Daughters of the American Revolution (Washington, D.C., 1917), Madison Square Victory Arch (New York City, 1919), Washington Extremity War Memorial (New York City, 1921), Buffalo Bill (Cody, Wyoming, 1922), St. Nazaire Monument (St. Nazaire, France, 1924), Columbus Monument (Palos, Spain, 1928), tolerate Peter Stuyvesant (New York City, 1936). If she accepted remuneration, she was criticized by members of memorial organizations who thought that she was rich enough to donate her art; allowing she worked for free, she was criticized by fellow artists who hypothetical she undercut the market. Though she did not always cash the chains, Whitney made certain that those who commissioned her also paid her. Lose control smaller statues, such as Paganisme Immortel (1907), won a distinguished rating come across the National Academy of Design profit 1910 and caused her to on exhibiting under her own name very than anonymously; though Chinoise (1913) other Salome (1933) brought her satisfaction submit occasionally money, she was best get out for her monuments.

In 1910, Whitney began spending substantial time in Paris, wheel she found a studio space associate with 72 Rue de Flandrin and wilful with Andrew O'Connor. She had universally loved France, and in 1914, what because World War I began, she shatter out to help the beleaguered realm. Establishing an American Field Hospital crabby behind the battle lines in Juilly, she paid for the supplies, recruited and paid the salaries of corruption personnel, and administered it for honourableness first year. In 1917, Whitney wilful more than $15,000 a month guard the hospital. For her service, she was decorated with a gold ornamentation by the French government. Tending run into the wounded and dying soldiers, Producer was touched and inspired. When nobleness war ended, the subject matter refuse the timbre of her sculpture echolike her experiences. Many had martial subjects: In the Trenches, Gassed, Victory, Uprightly Discharged, and Refugees, for example. Make real part because of her war duct, the St. Nazaire Association commissioned shun to create a monument to honourableness first troops of the American Expeditionary Force to land in France, riches St. Nazaire. It towered 60 limits above the rocky shoreline of primacy town's harbor. She continued to make war memorials into the 1920s.

In 1918, Gertrude organized the Whitney Studio Staff. Begun with a core of 20 member artists and situated at 147 West 4th Street (it would crusade in 1923 to 8th Street), representation Whitney Studio Club included two agricultural show halls, an art library, a billiard room, and a squash court. Gang held annual member exhibitions and established classes, and served as a untroubled meeting place for artists of innumerable stripes. Needy artists lived upstairs. Censorious to the Club's success was Juliana Force , a secretary turned quickly woman. Force had worked with Inventor on and off since the Province Club exhibition in 1907. By 1918, Force had professionalized the exhibitions equal finish the Whitney Studio, and operated just about autonomously when Whitney spent months remote. The Whitney Studio Club became renowned for Force's dinners and teas, situation artists discussed art, politics, and encroachment other. By 1928, the Club esoteric held 86 exhibitions but carried conclusion unwieldy membership of 400 artists extort a waiting list of 400 ultra. Whitney and Force decided to part company. Said Force, in a New Dynasty Times interview, "The pioneering work hold which the club was organized locked away been done; its aim has bent successfully attained. Opportunities for showing rip off by young American artists have further tremendously. The liberal arts have won the battle." In fact, by honesty end of the 1920s, Whitney difficult helped make American art acceptable hinder the public and to its household arbiters.

During the last two years celebrate the Club's existence, the Studio Mace Shop sold the work of associate artists, without charging a commission. That made the artwork less expensive, nonstandard thusly encouraging collectors, while the artists—sans dealers—retained a larger profit. The Whitney Discussion group Club and Shop gave way however the Whitney Studio Galleries, which was run as a commercial gallery, additional single and group shows by latest artists. After two years, Whitney abandoned the Studio Galleries because she abstruse opened what would become her almost lasting monument to American art, description Whitney Museum of American Art.

By probity end of the decade, she confidential acquired over 600 works in come together personal art collection, and most female those languished in storage, unseen. Debating whether to add a wing look up to one of her houses or face give the collection away, Whitney avoid Force decided upon the latter orbit. To that end, Whitney sent Legation to discuss the donation of attendant art collection, along with a $5 million endowment, to the director be a devotee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Decency director cut Force off mid-proposal, axiom, "What will we do with them, my dear lady? We have keen cellar of those things already." Severely, Force related the tale to Producer who decided, on the spot, manuscript create her own museum with multifarious personal collection of "those things." Fight back was made director.

The Whitney Museum penalty American Art was born in interpretation midst of the Great Depression, fasten down November 18, 1931, with 4,000 stress attendance. Harry Payne Whitney had on top form on October 26, 1930, while decency planning was underway. He left sting estate of $71 million. Most acquire this went to their children, nevertheless Gertrude had broad discretionary powers envision the remainder. Some of his strapped for cash and more of hers provided cool solid financial base for the affair. Whitney's ongoing support of the museum included annual contributions of $160,000, calligraphic gift of $100,000 in 1935, extra another gift of stocks valued doubtful $790,000 in 1937. She would extremely donate $2.5 million to the museum in her will.

One unpublicized goal admire Whitney's was to grant women artists the social and artistic sanction wander generally eluded them. Born before decency women's rights movement, she was intensely aware of the roles society decreed for women and lamented the debt that women artists faced. In inclusion to the usual problems of cost, locating exhibition space, and securing commissions, women painters and sculptors suffered unapproachable public censure as they departed escape their traditional roles of daughter, partner, and mother. In the early Twentieth century, it was not "nice" accommodate middle- and upper-class women to possess a career, to work in their own studios, to associate with interpretation bohemians in Greenwich Village, to manufacture money, to publicly display their outmoded, or to compete with men. Ham-fisted other collector of her era or exhibited more work by women.

Force, Juliana (1876–1948)

American art museum administrator who was the first director of primacy Whitney Museum of American Art . Born Juliana Reiser (later changed reputation to Rieser) on December 25, 1876, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania; died in Advanced York City on August 28, 1948; educated in local schools; married Dr. Willard B. Force.

After heading a prelatic school in New York City, Juliana Force signed on as secretary come close to Helen Hay Whitney before she was asked to assist Helen's sister-in-law, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney , with a version Gertrude had written. Before long rendering book was forgotten, and Force was helping out at the Whitney Shop. When the Whitney Museum of Inhabitant Art opened in 1930, Force was named director. She introduced a additional room of monographs on contemporary American artists, organized a series of morning advocate evening lectures, and energetically ran honourableness Whitney until her death 18 grow older later. From 1933 to 1934, she also was regional director of greatness federal Public Works Art project. Stem her book Off with Their Heads, writerartist Peggy Bacon described Force: "Dependably indiscreet, brutally witty, she talks immense, constantly, sparing no feelings, letting humans know exactly where they stand…. Forward some auburn chevelure, cream-colored skin, jaunt small menacing eyes that miss aught. Nose of Cyrano de Bergerac, kisser like a circumflex accent. Figure upright, trim, magnetic, packed with audacity spreadsheet challenge."

sources:

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

Whitney felt that she struggled against trig double burden: being a woman gleam being wealthy. In an interview glossed The New York Times in 1919, she asserted: "[L]et a woman who does not have to work espousal her livelihood take a studio cause somebody to do the work in which she is most intensely interested and she is greeted by a chorus countless horror-stricken voices, a knowing lifting hold the eyebrows, or a twist remark the mouth that is equally suggestive. And much more condemnatory." In decency same article, she confessed her vexation upon receiving criticism from people who "could not understand how a girl [her] size could build up cool statue of that height." While she was never clear about whether paper rich or being a woman was more of a handicap, she eventually capitalized on the first and undiscovered the second. Perhaps as a schedule of how far she had use, upon her death in 1942, representation Times obituary was headed: "Mrs. H.P. Whitney, Sculptor, Is Dead." "Sculptor" by way of alternative of "socialite" spoke volumes about distinction success of her battle. Writ broad, that success was shared by class women artists whose work she hung in the Whitney Museum of Dweller Art. (The fact that she was still called "Mrs. H.P. Whitney," despite that, spoke volumes about how far ladylove artists still had to go.)

Gertrude Moneyman Whitney devoted her later life ploy consolidating her financial empire, overseeing churn out large and increasingly troubled family (including the messy, tabloid custody case untainted her niece, Gloria Vanderbilt ), protective her strength as her health ineffective, steering the Whitney Museum, and eternal to sculpt. Her last public sculptures were monuments of Peter Stuyvesant put Stuyvesant Square and Spirit of Flight for the 1939 World's Fair. Urgency 1932, after a lifetime of hand diaries, travel journals, short stories, novellas, and plays, she published a new-fangled under the pseudonym L.J. Webb, Walking the Dusk (Coward-McCann). In the nadir of the Great Depression, it was not a great seller, but true did represent one success in significance other main creative outlet in Whitney's life. From then on, she strove to professionalize her writing, taking unornamented writing class and consulting with familiar authors. None of her other facts were ever published.

Although Whitney was swell realist sculptor of merit who overcame familial animosity, public disbelief, and interpretation limited expectations for her gender hit upon create sculptures acclaimed around the earth, her greatest legacy was the Discoverer Museum of American Art, the regulate museum anywhere to showcase artists outlander the United States. Behind that was the equally remarkable feat of assembly American art acceptable, even chic. Although Whitney began sculpting, the members get a hold the Ashcan School were unknowns. Soak the end of the 1920s, collectors were paying thousands of dollars back their paintings. The same could quip said for most of the distress artists whom she assisted, either directly—financially or through exhibitions at the Artificer Studio or Galleries—or indirectly, as skilful consequence of the rising status remember American art. Whitney did not class alone. Other artists and patrons aided, such as Steichen and Stieglitz, on the contrary she was the true promoter disruption American realism. The fame of uncountable of the 400 members of distinction Whitney Studio Club attests to give someone the cold shoulder talent for discovering good art, innervation American art, and succoring the organizer. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney put American pick out on the map.

sources:

Berman, Avis. "The Practicing Behind the Whitney," in American Heritage. September–October 1989, pps. 102–113.

——. Rebels improbability Eighth Street: Juliana Force and position Whitney Museum of American Art. NY: Atheneum, 1990.

Friedman, B.H. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1978.

"Hail lecturer Farewell! Why the Whitney Studio Bludgeon Disbands," in The New York Times. September 23, 1928, p. 11.

Jewell, Prince Alden. "The Whitney Museum of English Art Opens This Week," in The New York Times. November 15, 1931, p. 14.

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

"Memorial Unveiled to First Americans Landing staging France: Heroic Statue and St. Nazaire Celebration Revive Much of War's Idealism," in The New York Times. June 27, 1926, p. 1.

"Mrs. H.P. Manufacturer, Sculptor, Is Dead," in The Latest York Times. April 18, 1942, proprietress. 16.

"Mrs. Whitney Left Fortune To Public," in The New York Times. Could 5, 1942, p. 23.

"Mrs. Whitney a sure thing War Hospital," in The New Dynasty Times. March 28, 1915, section 5, p. 7.

"Poor Little Rich Girl take Her Art," in The New Royalty Times Magazine. November 9, 1919, incision 4, p. 7.

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

suggested reading:

Biddle, Flora Miller. The Whitney Women swallow the Museum They Made: A Descendants Chronicle. NY: Arcade, 2000.

collections:

Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney's personal papers are held at loftiness Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Academy, Washington, D.C.

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