The Art of Collecting
ART1-10-Thu2
Nancy Alimansky
This course will take place in person at 60 Turner Street. The room will be equipped with a HEPA air purifier.
10 week course - March 13 - May 22
(No Class April 17)
In the Art of Collecting we will study the people who are responsible for some of the great American art collections. What motivated them to buy art? How did they decide what art to buy? What happened to their collections?
These are some of the questions we will answer in our course. We will deal with four different collections: The Cone sisters of Baltimore; the Stein family, (Gertrude, Leo, and Michael); Isabella Stewart Gardner; and Albert Barnes. In some cases, like the Steins, family relations fell apart and the siblings never reconciled.
We will discover different approaches to the art of collecting and some unbelievable coincidences. The Cone sisters basically bought work on their own without an advisor. However, both Isabella Stewart Gardner and Leo Stein were advised and influenced by Bernard Berenson. Much of the Stein collection eventually ended up in the Cone sisters’ collection. We will learn how and why that happened. In many cases the collectors formed strong friendships with the artists that they favored and helped to promote their careers.
In two cases, Barnes and Gardner, the collectors built a museum to show their collections. But each museum reflects a distinct philosophy about the purpose of a museum and how to display the works of art. As part of the course we will also study in depth some of the outstanding artworks that make up these collections.
Regular attendance is strongly encouraged. If you plan to miss more than three consecutive sessions, please consider another choice.
Roughly the same amount of lecture and discussion.
The Cone Sisters of Baltimore Collecting at Full Tilt by Ellen B. Hirschland and Nancy Hirschland Ramage
Isabella Stewart Gardner: A Life by Diana Greenwald and Nathaniel E. Silver
Additional materials will be provided on a class website including readings and videos.
3-4 hours/week to complete required reading, prepare discussion questions and watch videos
This will be Nancy Alimansky’s 28th teaching experience at BOLLI. For 26 years she was an Associate Professor at Lesley University teaching management and technology as well as studio art. For three years she was a docent at the Davis Museum at Wellesley College. Nancy has a B.A from Wellesley College, an MAT from Harvard Graduate School of Education and an MBA from Boston College. She has been a professional artist for more than 30 years.