Attributed to Gerardus Duyckinck I ( 1695-1746)
Mrs. Jacob Franks (Abigaill Levy)
ca. 1735
Oil on canvas
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2005.8
Early American Art Gallery
Mrs. Jacob Franks (Abigaill Levy)
ALICE WALTON: Oh, we're on to another of my favorites, Abigaill Levy Franks who is Mrs. Jacob Franks, by Gerardus Duyckinck.Abigail is the matron of the Levy Franks family. These portraits were painted in 1735 prior to, of course, the revolution when New Amsterdam was the prior name of New York, and this family was one of several Ashkenazi Jewish families living in New York. But it's really interesting what happened. I've probably learned more from Abigail and her family than any other piece of art in my life. And it's a fascinating story, so I'm going to tell you.
[Pause]
We were looking at Winslow Helmer letters prior to this Southeby's art auction, and up in it was in a study room with chalkboards and all of that, and above the chalkboard set, Abigail Levy Franks.
And I was just amazed by this beautiful painting so early in American history, 1735. So I asked them to tell me the story. Well, we got the curator and learned that lo and behold, not only Abigail but her whole family, six portraits of the Levy Franks family were going to auction and were to be sold separately. I also learned that this was the largest and earliest family portrait group in American art. I talked with the curators and our management and we decided this was incredibly important and that we had to keep these paintings together if there were any way. So we were able to negotiate with a seller prior to the auction and buy them as a group. This was, gosh--six years, five or six years before Crystal Bridges opened its door. So we put them on loan to the Jewish museum in New York in the meantime.
[End of Stop]
Attributed to Gerardus Duyckinck I ( 1695-1746)
Sra. Jacob Franks (Abigaill Levy)
ca. 1735
Óleo sobre lienzo
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2005.8
Early American Art Gallery
Sra. Jacob Franks (Abigaill Levy)
ALICE WALTON: Oh, aquí estamos frente a otra de mis favoritas, Abigaill Levy Franks, que es la Sra. Jacob Franks, de Gerardus Duyckinck.Abigail es la matrona de la familia Levy Franks. Estos retratos se pintaron en 1735, antes de la revolución, por supuesto, cuando New Amsterdam era el nombre de Nueva York y esta familia era una de las numerosas familias judías askenazí que vivían allí entonces. Lo que sucedió es muy interesante. Probablemente, he investigado más sobre Abigail y su familia que sobre cualquier otra obra de arte. Es una historia fascinante; voy a contárselas.
[Pausa]
Estábamos mirando las cartas de Winslow Helmer antes de una subasta de arte en Sotheby's, y allí estaba, en una sala con pizarrones y todo eso, sobre el conjunto de pizarrones, Abigail Levy Franks.
Simplemente me maravilló esta hermosa pintura tan temprana de la historia estadounidense, 1735. Entonces les pedí que me contaran la historia. Buscamos al curador, quien reveló que no solo la pintura de Abigail, sino las de toda su familia, seis retratos de la familia Levy Franks, serían subastados y vendidos por separado. También mencionó que se trataba del grupo de retratos de familia más antiguo y más grande del arte estadounidense. Hablé con los curadores y con nuestra gerencia y decidimos que esto era increíblemente importante; teníamos que hacer lo posible por mantener este grupo de obras juntas. Finalmente pudimos negociar con un vendedor antes de la subasta y comprarlas todas. Esto sucedió seis años..., cinco o seis años antes de que Crystal Bridges abriera sus puertas. Así que las dimos en préstamo al Jewish Museum de Nueva York por ese tiempo.
[Fin de la parada]