The Groove 207 - A Brief History of Art Collecting
Welcome to the 207th issue of The Groove.
I am Maria Brito, an art advisor, curator, and author based in New York City.
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF ART COLLECTING
A painted wooden figure found in Tutankhamun's tomb. The bust seems to have functioned as a dummy or mannequin for the king's garments.
Collecting art is a pursuit that stretches back thousands of years. While collecting has evolved, the core motivation remains a mix of social status, self-expression, and often, the pure joy of ownership. Last week, Art Basel and UBS released their 2024 Survey of Global Collecting and the highest-ranking motivation for purchasing a work of art was self-focus and pleasure (40%), followed by social and relationship motives and financial investment (each one of these last two motives tied at 24%).
Since my job is to advise my clients in their acquisitions, after having done this for 15 years, I realized that I’ve never written about the history of art collecting and the reasons why people do so. Looking back is crucial, yet I find that there’s less and less knowledge and interest in learning about art history and all the players who have shaped the art world and the art market as we know it.
While it’s impossible to cover it all in a newsletter entry, here’s just a glimpse that enlightens why art collecting is so important and why we didn’t start this fire. (Although we have flamed the fans in ways not ever seen before.)
Ancient and Renaissance Collectors
Portrait of Lorenzo de’ Medici painted by Giorgio Vasari c. 1533.
The recordings of first art collectors date back to Ancient Egypt (circa 3000 BCE): Pharaohs like Tutankhamun (c. 1341 BC – c. 1323 BC) amassed vast treasures, including golden masks, intricate jewelry, and carved statues. These items were buried with them, reflecting a belief in art's sacred role in the afterlife.
Then during the Roman Empire (circa 1st century BCE to 5th century CE) we know that Roman elites collected Greek sculptures and frescoes, often looted from conquered territories. Figures like Emperor Hadrian were drawn to Greek art, establishing its influence in Roman culture and inspiring copies of famous works.
It wasn’t really until the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries) when we started to know the authors by name, this was the period in history where many artists became rich and famous thanks to the Medici family in Florence. In turn, the Medicis became one of the highest-profile and most respected collectors in history, funding and supporting artists like Michelangelo Buonarroti, Leonardo da Vinci, and Sandro Botticelli, accumulating art that signified both power and intellectual prestige. Their collection formed the foundation of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, one of the world's first public museums.
The Royals
Portrait of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud, 1701.
The French monarchy was also part of the history of collecting. (I personally despise any form of royalty, but they had taste and they bought the art, so they have to be acknowledged for that.) Francis I (1494–1547), often called the “Father of the French Renaissance,” was an enthusiastic art patron who brought Italian Renaissance masterpieces to France. Notably, he acquired works like Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Saint John the Baptist, and invited da Vinci himself to live in France during his final years. Francis I is the reason why the Mona Lisa lives at the Louvre and will stay there forever.
Much later, King Louis XIV (1638-1715), known as the “Sun King.” collected a remarkable array of art, including classical sculptures, paintings, and decorative objects. He expanded the royal collection significantly, commissioning paintings by leading French artists like Nicolas Poussin and Charles Le Brun. These works adorned the royal palaces, primarily Versailles, but were transferred to the Louvre when it became a public museum.
Later, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great (1729-1796) expanded the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, acquiring thousands of paintings by European masters like Rembrandt and Raphael. Her collection was motivated by a desire to modernize Russia and position it as a cultural center.
The Industrialists
Portrait of John Pierpont Morgan by Frank Holl, 1888.
With the Industrial Revolution, the Americans became wealthy and with wealth came the desire to be cultivated. Many started collecting in the early 1900s, like Henry Clay Frick (1849 – 1919) and Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840 – 1924), both of whom would leave their collections in their own museums open to the public for posterity.
But nobody was like John Pierpont Morgan (1837 – 1913) (aka J.P., the founder or the now 3.8 trillion-dollar bank) who collected art, rare books, and manuscripts, amassing one of the greatest private collections of the time. Among hundreds of different interests and thousands of objects, Morgan collected paintings by renowned European artists like Titian, Raphael, Rembrandt, and Hals. His taste in paintings leaned towards Old Masters, showcasing his appreciation for European art traditions.
J.P. Morgan donated a remarkable 7,000 art pieces and objects to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This donation, which took place after his death in 1913, included a wide range of artworks and artifacts, such as paintings, decorative arts, medieval artifacts, tapestries, and sculptures. His contribution helped transform the Met into one of the world's premiere art institutions, significantly expanding its European and ancient art collections. Morgan's donations underscored his vision of making art accessible to the public and establishing a lasting cultural legacy in the United States. Simply put, without this man there would be no Met Museum.
With the turn of the century came some mavericks who had an increased passion for buying art. Dr. Albert Barnes (1872 – 1951) from Philadelphia, began collecting in 1912 after achieving significant financial success in the pharmaceutical industry. That same year, he commissioned his friend, the artist William Glackens, to acquire works from the French avant-garde during a trip to Paris. Glackens returned with 33 pieces, including notable works by Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso, marking the start of Barnes's ambitious effort to build one of the world's greatest collections of modern art. Barnes continued expanding until 1951, adding African art, Native American pottery and jewelry, Pennsylvania German furniture, American avant-garde painting, and wrought-iron metalwork to the mix.
The Modern Tastemakers
Portrait of Peggy Guggenheim by Alfred Courmes, 1926.
Down the line came Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979), who started buying in the late 1930s in Paris and London and became a champion of modern art. Guggenheim collected works by artists like Jackson Pollock, Max Ernst, and Joan Miró. She was a huge advocate of the Abstract Expressionists and helped legitimize modern art within European and American circles.
Fast forward to the 1990s and you encounter people like Charles Saatchi who gave the Young British Artists (not so young anymore) like Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas, Jenny Saville and Tracey Emin, an important platform and grand institutional support. His American counterparts Eli and Edythe Broad amassed a vast contemporary art collection, featuring works by Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman and Jean-Michel Basquiat, now constantly rotated at The Broad in LA and on loan to museums around the world.
Spilling into the 21st century, Mira and Don Rubell and their two massive museums still have an impressive sway in the art world and the market with their unwavering support of young artists and their annual residencies for emerging talent. Despite having started buying art in the 1960s, they show no signs of slowing down.
Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, is not only a leading figure in the luxury industry but also a significant art collector. His interest in art reflects his passion for creativity and innovation. Arnault has been known to blur the lines between art and commerce, collaborating with renowned artists like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama to integrate art into the luxury fashion world. One of his notable contributions to the art world is the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, a contemporary art museum designed by Frank Gehry, which opened in 2014. The foundation showcases a collection of contemporary art and aims to foster a dialogue between art, culture, and society.
I understand that many of you would say: “But I’m not any of these people! I don’t have that kind of money!” Well, 99.9% of the people in the world don’t have that kind of money. What is absolutely true is that art collecting has wildly expanded since the times when only pharaohs or kings could buy art and amass collections.
What hasn’t changed is the motive. Most true collectors, regardless of their net worth, are driven by a genuine love for beauty and expansion of their perspectives. They often feel a profound connection to the works they acquire and find personal meaning and inspiration in them. Many are moved by a curiosity about different cultures, artistic movements, and want to learn about places and people they don’t know much about. Every time they buy a new piece of art, they open themselves to a new level of knowledge.
I recognize that there's a prevalent narrative portraying wealthy people as universally villainous, attributing every wrong in the world to them. While I respectfully disagree with this superficial and simplistic view, it is important to acknowledge that many museums owe a significant portion of their collections to the generosity of early art collectors. These individuals not only acquired invaluable artworks but also donated or bequeathed their collections to emerging museums, thereby establishing a vital foundation for public access to art.
Today, the internet, social media and art fairs have further expanded access, allowing anyone with interest to discover, learn about, and buy art. This democratization benefits the art world and communities at large by creating a more inclusive and diverse ecosystem.
The art world has grown significantly and cannot rely solely on billionaires to sustain it. It's remarkable to note that members of Gen Z (the oldest are 27), are already actively purchasing art, as highlighted in the Art Basel - UBS Global Collecting Report. This data challenges common perceptions that younger generations aren’t into “having things” and demonstrates that art collecting is an enduring human endeavor; a passion that has persisted through centuries and will undoubtedly continue to thrive for centuries to come.