Berthe Weill - (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book offers a rich introduction to the life and work of art dealer Berthe Weill--the risk-taking, rule-breaking facilitator of the modernist art movement in Paris.

This book and the accompanying traveling exhibition survey the groundbreaking career of Berthe Weill (1865-1951), the first female modern art dealer. She championed many fledgling masters of modern art from early in their careers--including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Amedeo Modigliani--as well as numerous other talented artists. Examining Weill's contributions to the history of modernism as a gallerist, a passionate advocate of contemporary art, and a Jew, this book brings to light the remarkable achievements of a singular figure who overcame sexism and anti-Semitism in her quest to promote emerging artists.

The exhibition, co-organized by New York University's Grey Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Musée de l'Orangerie, features some eighty artworks that were originally displayed at her gallery during the first four decades of the twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"Despite Weill's obscurity, her influence was enormous. She was the first dealer to sell Picasso, an early champion of the Fauves and the first and only dealer to exhibit Amadeo Modigliani in his lifetime." -- ANTIQUES AND THE ARTS WEEKLY

"Berthe Weill (1865-1951) promoted Matisse and Modigliani, and was Picasso's first dealer. This overdue show will include many pieces that once hung in her gallery." -- ARTDAILY.COM

"Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Suzanne Valadon and Raoul Dufy are just a few of the icons championed by Berthe Weill, the first woman modern art dealer. Weill, who maintained a gallery in Paris from 1901-1941, was an important yet overlooked figure in art history. Dedicated to promoting the work of emerging avant-garde artists, she fought sexism, antisemitism and fierce competition to become a major influence within 20th century art. Bringing together many works shown in her trailblazing gallery, an exhibition at New York University's Grey Art Museum offers a portrait of Weill, but also provides a window into a period of radical innovation and creative transformation." -- CHRISTIE'S

"Before there was Paula Cooper, or even Peggy Guggenheim, there was Berthe Weill. The first woman dealer of modern art, Weill showed some of the most important artists of the 20th century, including Pablo Picasso and Amedeo Modigliani, from her gallery in the ninth arrondissement." -- CULTURED

"A legitimate question then arises," writes French scholar and founder of the Berthe Weill Archive, Marianne Le Morvan, in the scholarly exhibition catalog accompanying the exhibition. "What would have become of all these artists without Berthe Weill's support?" Many of the artists she supported did famously well, moving on to more established dealers and cementing their importance in museum collections and books. Weill, on the other hand, died in poverty and obscurity, and with no heirs to care for her legacy was soon forgotten. This exhibition hopes to help change that." -- ART NET

About the Author

Lynn Gumpert is director of New York University's Grey Art Museum. Marianne Le Morvan is director and founder of the Berthe Weill archives. Anne Grace is curator of modern art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Stéphane Aquin is director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Claire Bernardi is director of the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris. Robert Parker is an independent art scholar. Charles Dellheim, professor of history and Jewish studies at Boston University, is author of Belonging and Betrayal: How Jews Made the Art World Modern. Sophie Eloy is assistant director of the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris. Kirsten Pai Buick is director of Africana studies at the University of New Mexico. Ambre Gauthier is an art historian and independent curator.