FEATURES ARCHIVE

One could say that Darthea Speyer did for American art in Paris, what Julia Child did for French cooking in America. She said: “I suppose you might say that I was acting as a catalyst to bring American shows to France.” 

Sent to France after World War II to work for the USIS (United States Information Service), Darthea Speyer quickly made her home in Paris and very soon developed an interest in a wide range of American artists who had made the city their home following the War.

With resistance from Washington, Darthea Speyer battled to launch her international program with the aid of René d’Harnoncourt, director of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Together they opened a Cultural Center, on the rue de Dragon, where artists including Sam Francis, Ed Paschke, whose work Bostock is included in the auction and Alberto Giacometti, whose sculpture Grande Feuille also features this June, exhibited their works.

In her role as cultural attaché, Darthea Speyer quickly realised that “nobody here knew anything about American art”. She made it her goal to correct this, and working with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Parisian Embassy, Le Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris and other financial backers, she began exhibiting the works of artists including Jackson Pollock, Léon Golub and Beauford Delaney; the works of Léon Golub and Beauford Delaney are featured  in this auction.

Darthea Speyer’s vision and passion changed the landscape of Paris’ art scene. It was in the midst of the May 1968 riots that she established her art gallery in the heart of Saint-Germain des Prés; having looked for two years for the perfect space she wasn’t prepared to wait any longer. The first show Speyer put on was her Twelve Americans show, which featured artists including Jackson Pollock, David Smith and John Marin. It was an exciting endeavour as it was the first time that contemporary American artists were being showcased.

Darthéa has gifted significant works by Etienne Martin, François Stahly, and Robert Malaval to The Centre Pompidou. Other gifts have been made to The Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Speyer’s home town.

This collection, to be offered without reserve at auction this July 7 pays homage to Darthea Speyer and the works of those artists she collected personally and promoted during her 60 year-long tenure in Paris.

Related Sale:
Sale 5620
COLLECTION DE MADAME DARTHEA SPEYER, PARIS
7 July 2010
Paris 

Enquiries:
Laëtitia Bauduin
Head of Sales
lbauduin@christies.com
+33 (0)1 40 76 85 95