Gardner Museum Controversy

Douglas Crimp begins his essay by delivering a story about a librarian, Julia Van Haaftan and how she was interested in the photography organization at the Art and Architecture Division of the New York Public Library. In addition, Crimp delivers his most enlightening and meaningful point by explaining how Julia Van Haaftan is also now a “director of the Photographic Collections Documentation Project”. She discovered several lost books and photographs, which she researched, re-categorizing, and placed them under the photography or art category in the photographic collection. I found this section of the essay entertaining because it demonstrates that the history books can get lost

The Museum of Natural History is an enchanting place for children of all ages, but it is an especially important place for Holden Caulfield. The Museum is a known certainty in Holden’s inconsistent life, where the glass displays always remain the same. Holden has been relocated to many different boarding schools, and few things remain constant throughout his life. As a result of this he clings on to this one place, the Museum of Natural History, because even if Holden, himself, returns to the museum different, “the deers would still be drinking out of that water hole…and that squaw with the naked bosom would still be weaving that same blanket,” (Salinger, 157-158). In Holden’s ideal world, life should mimic the museum exhibits, where everything is simple, people never come and go, and everything remains frozen in time forever. In The Catcher in the Rye, one symbol J. D. Salinger uses is the Museum of Natural History to show how Holden’s fear of variation makes him hold onto the past, and how he fears mental change even more than just aging physically.

Countless art has been sought-after throughout history. Explorers, scientists, art collectors, politicians, and entrepreneurs from Western nations have sought out and removed art from the lands of great civilizations, often with the assistance and participation of local people and governments. Even as cultural property faces immediate danger today in conflict zones like Syria and Mali, there is circumstantial evidence that some nations are awakening to the political and foreign policy benefits that can flow from the repatriation of cultural patrimony. While on a different scale from World War II, historic structures, religious monuments, and other priceless ancient times continue to suffer collateral damage and manipulation in armed conflict. Relics have been stolen, smuggled and sold in what is a reported multibillion dollar underground market. They have become the illicit prizes of private collectors and the subject of legal claims against museums. Of the countless museums subject to legal claims, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City happens to be one of them. “The Metropolitan Museum has acquired thousands of works and objects of art from the antiquities”. “For the past several years, the government of Turkey has warned U.S. and foreign museums (including The Metropolitan Museum of Art), that unless ancient objects from Turkish soil are given up on demand, Turkey will stop lending artworks” (The Committee for Cultural Policy, 2015). Turkey continues to up the

Over the weekend, I took the time to explore two museums. The first museum I visited was the D.I.A , also known as the Detroit Institute of Arts. The D.I.A was a very beautiful, multicultural, and unique place. I also took the time to visit and explore the Charles H. Wright Museum of Detroit. Luckily, these museums weren’t too far from each other they were roughly 5-7 minutes apart. The Charles H. Wright Museum was also very beautiful, it was more appealing to me because it is a museum that exhibits and highlights the history of the African American culture. The Charles H. Wright museum also happens to be the largest African American museum in the world.

Very few works of art taken by Hitler have been found, and many that are discovered reside in museums. Some have been discovered in museums or galleries in Austria, while thousands still remain lost. Recently, “a long-lost Monet and other art treasures stolen from Jews during the Holocaust have been discovered in the home of an 81-year-old German art collector,” Julian states (Julian). Cornelius Gurlitt, the art

​Into the Heart of Africa, an exhibition presented by The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) that was curated by guest curator Dr. Jeanne Cannizzo was a source of much contention between the people and the museum. The exhibit was inspired by an interest in exploring the hundreds of African artefacts – which had been stolen and collected during the European colonization of African countries – that have been stored by the ROM for over a hundred years. Through this collection of artefacts, Cannizzo intended on retelling the story of Canada’s involvement in the European colonization of Africa. Cannizzo led the planning and designing of the exhibition, however the ROM had significant

The West Georgia Museum of Tallapoosa is a blast from the past for most of the older generation while the younger generations get to see how their grandparents or great grandparents got to live long before they were born. The overall theme of the museum is honoring and memorializing the old city of Tallapoosa. When exploring the little museum, there are displays of old stores and work offices such as a dentist office or a doctor’s office display from the 1800’s. These displays are interesting to look at because most of the stuff on display in each of these rooms are actual items from that time or very close to that era. When viewing these rooms, there is a button viewers can press which activates a narrator to tell them what they are viewing

There is an ongoing art-ownership debate over paintings and other art stolen from European Jews during the Holocaust of World War II (1939-45). As Jews were sent to concentration camps, Nazi German soldiers looted valuable art from their homes. During the ensuing decades, some of that art landed in major museums on display, prompting Holocaust survivors and the families of Holocaust victims to ask that those works be returned to them.

Festival was brought to you by the dedication of Shinnecock museum staff and volunteers, the generousity of our donors, and the support of the Village of Southampton.

How do police find these works of art? One main way they find it is The Nation Stolen Art File (NASF). IT has an archive of stolen works and arts, be it pictures of it, or just physical descriptions. They use this to authenticate works and verify ownership to these works. Anyone can use it, except without the investigation information.

Each time I travel to the Appleton Museum of Art, the relatively large structure of the museum and the amount of art that has been gathered and displayed there never ceases to amaze me. Yet, this piece is one that draws my attention every time and I’m not sure if it is the size or the subject matter.

A priceless painting has been stolen from the Art Institute while traveling to Chicago. A sublime, captivating piece, it is worth millions, billions, of dollars. This theft is an atrocious act, hidden by red herrings and innocence. The person guilty of this theft is none other than Isabel Hussey, a young sixth-grade teacher, hidden right under our noses. Ms. Hussey has been fascinated with art since a young age, particularly fancying Johannes Vermeer. When she heard “The Lady Writing” was arriving to Chicago, she was ecstatic. Ms. Hussey has been spotted frequently attending a local bookstore, Powell’s, and observing many art related books, accompanied by Mrs. Louise Coffing Sharpe and Mr. Vincent Watch. Reports have expressed her vast knowledge

A decent amount of the art appeared to be looted, and a task force was created to find the art’s origins and hopefully return them. However, Susan Ronald states that “only a handful of paintings have been acknowledged by the Gurlitt Task Force as having been looted . . . The task force had only until April 6, 2015 to decide what should be done with the other 451 artworks” (318). Since the task force missed their deadline, many pieces of artwork suspected to be looted will wait in limbo for an undetermined amount of time. As the information stands now, the rightful owners may never see their lost art.

The Salvador Dali museum was founded by Dali’s leading collectors, Reynolds and Eleanor Morse. They were not only friends of Dali but also private collectors of his work.

Throughout history, art has caused wars and forged alliances. In modern times, cultural treasures are being sorted into place after much misplacement. Restitution/repatriation, the act of returning cultural treasures to their rightful owners or nation of origin, often ensues difficult legal decisions, but remains a moral necessity. This act of returning cultural treasures, grows more common due to the media’s interest or publicized legal battles. The movie “The Woman in Gold,” involving Gustav Klimt’s painting of Adele Bloch-Bauer, is an example of the influence it has on media.