Although Larry Gagosian is known for representing contemporary art stars like Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons and Richard Prince, in recent years he has also made a name for himself presenting historic shows of modern artists like Picasso, Brancusi and Giacometti. His galleries in New York, London, and elsewhere have reigned as a mecca for the world's savvy private collectors who happen to be very well-healed.
Now he’s turning the clock back further still, with a show of Monet’s late paintings (1905-24) that is being organized by Paul Hayes Tucker, a Monet scholar and curator.
Rather than install it on Madison Avenue, where one would expect to see a display of Impressionist paintings, the work will go on view at Mr. Gagosian’s 21st Street gallery in Chelsea from May 1 through June 26.
“Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards,” Mr. Gagosian said in a telephone interview.
Will independent collectors and private curators be able to purchase any of these works which usually remain only within the provenance of museums?
While a few works will be for sale, most are on loan from collectors and institutions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Beyeler Foundation in Switzerland and the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris.
“I think Monet was a very radical artist,” Mr. Gagosian said. “He painted on an epic scale, and the paintings prefigure abstraction.”
Monet is also the one Impressionist artist who was prolific and whose top works are in many cases still available. Ever the salesman, Mr. Gagosian added: “This is a part of the market that is far from dead. The last auctions showed there’s still a lot of activity and interest in these paintings.”
courtesy: NY Times
