The Women Who Shaped the Art World in NYC, Part 1 of 4

[Virtual tour] Many notable women were responsible for bringing Old Masters as well as modern European works to New York, commissioning art, and collecting contemporary American Art. They ran salons, supported struggling artists, founded the first important museums, opened galleries, and introduced contemporary public art. In this four-part series we’ll have a closer look at these remarkable women.

Part 1 will focus on Catherine Lorillard Wolfe, who was the first to bequeath a substantial private collection to the Met and awaken people’s interest in art collecting. New York born Isabella Gardner became one of the first dedicated collectors, working with the famous art historian Bernard Berenson and competing with Henry Clay Frick, creating a most personal museum with gardens in an intimate setting. The expat artist Mary Cassatt served as an advisor to American collectors like Louisine Havemeyer, fully aware that these private collections would likely end up in public institutions. Bertha Palmer in Chicago was another important collector, connected to the former through their art dealers, but also a dedication to the Feminist cause and the World’s Columbian Exposition.

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