F. Kleinberger Galleries

F. Kleinberger Galleries
FounderFranz Kleinberger
Dissolved1973
HeadquartersParis and New York City
CEO
Harry Sperling

F. Kleinberger Galleries was a commercial art gallery based in Paris and New York that for more than a century played an important role in importing European artworks into the United States. Founded in 1848 by Franz Kleinberger in Paris, it was owned and managed by his grandson Harry Sperling until the art dealership closed in 1973.[1]

Founding and early years

Franz Kleinberger founded the art dealership in 1848 in Paris. Its main business was importing European paintings to the United States. By 1913, Kleinberger had a New York branch gallery on Fifth Avenue, near the Duveen Gallery[1] where numerous exhibitions were organised.[2][3][4][5] Art experts who worked for Kleinberger Galleries included John Watson.[6]

The Sperling years

Harry S. Sperling (d. 1971) was vice president of Kleinberger until 1973 when he became president following the death of the founder Franz Kleinberger (ca. 1936).[7] Kleinberger Galleries worked in close partnership with Julius Böhler both before and after World War II.[8][1] The French branch of Kleinberger was run by Alan Loebl, a cousin of Harry Sperling.[9]

Supplier to American museums

Kleinberger was a major suppier of European artworks to American museums.[9] The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston holds a dozen artworks that passed through Kleinberger.[10] The National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. list twenty [11] and the Metropolitan Museum lists over 200 artworks associated with Kleinberger.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Archives Directory for the History of Collecting". research.frick.org. Archived from the original on 2022-02-18. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  2. ^ "TO SHOW FRENCH PAINTINGS; Kleinberger Galleries' Exhibit to Open on Oct. 15". The New York Times. 1927-09-25. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  3. ^ "GETS RARE PORTRAIT PAINTED BY PERREAL; Francis Kleinberger, Purchaser of "Suzanne de Bourbon," Values It at $100,000. BOUGHT FROM A PRINCESS Work by the Master of Moulins, Eulogized by Critics, Now in Galleries In 5th Av". The New York Times. 1926-03-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  4. ^ "Catalogue of the A. De Ridder Collection Exhibited at the F. Kleinberger Galleries, in New York, 709 Fifth Avenue November-December, 1913". www.forgottenbooks.com. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  5. ^ Jewell, Edward Alden (1932-11-13). "THE MICHAEL FRIEDSAM COLLECTION; Bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum, It Will Be Placed on View There Tuesday -- Primitives Are of Outstanding Interest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  6. ^ "JOHN WATSON; Rare-Art Expert Had Been With the Kleinberger Galleries". The New York Times. 1945-06-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  7. ^ "HARRY G. SPERLING, AN ART DEALER, 65". The New York Times. 1971-11-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-07-02. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  8. ^ "Selected Dealer Archives & Locations (Getty Research Institute)". www.getty.edu. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  9. ^ a b "Sharing the F. Kleinberger Galleries Records with a Global Audience". www.metmuseum.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-17. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  10. ^ "Results – Advanced Search Objects – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston". collections.mfa.org. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  11. ^ "Provenance Kleinberger Gallery est. 1848 F. Kleinberger and Co.; F. Kleinberger Galleries, Inc". www.nga.gov. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  12. ^ "268 results for Kleinberger". www.metmuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-02-18.