American author Clarissa Watson (1918–2012) was an art connoisseur and

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having traditio ...

as well as the writer of the popular Persis Willum mystery series. Known as the “doyenne of art” on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

, she was a co-founder of The Country Art Gallery in

Nassau County, NY Nassau County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2020 U.S. census, Nassau County's population is 1,395,774. The county seat is Mineola and the largest town is Hempstead. Nassau County is situated on western Long Isla ...

and was a prominent figure in upper class

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and

society for most of the twentieth century.

Life

Born on April 8, 1918, Watson grew up in the wealthy Long Island village of

Upper Brookville Upper Brookville is a village located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 1,698 at the 2010 census. History The village is named for the brook which ...

, and later became a resident of both Glen Cove, Long Island and Sassetot le Mauconduit in

Normandy, France Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

. A member of elite New York society, Watson was acquainted with numerous famous and influential people, including former Secretary of State

Madeleine Albright Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political scientist who served as the 64th United States secretary of state from 1997 to 2001. A member of the Democratic ...

, author Anita Loos, former

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland, and former CBS executive Bill Paley. Watson raised two children with her husband, Edward Louis Watson.

Career

Art curation

In 1953, Watson co-founded The Country Art Gallery and Art School with

Joan Payson Joan Whitney Payson (February 5, 1903 – October 4, 1975) was an American heiress, businesswoman, philanthropist, patron of the arts and art collector, and a member of the prominent Whitney family. She was also co-founder and majority owner of ...

, then-owner of the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

. The gallery was originally located in

Westbury, Long Island The Incorporated Village of Westbury is a Village (New York), village in the North Hempstead, New York, Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York (state), New York, United States. It is located a ...

, but was later relocated to

Locust Valley Locust Valley is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 3,406 at the 2010 census. History The rolling h ...

in the 1960s. As

Director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''Di ...

of the gallery, Watson was the first to exhibit works by many notable artists such as

Martha Cahoon Martha Cahoon (Jan. 11, 1905 – Dec. 7, 1999) was an American artist. She was the wife and business partner of artist, Ralph Eugene Cahoon, Jr. Early life Martha Farham was born in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood to Swedish immigrant parents, ...

Ray Johnson Raymond Edward "Ray" Johnson (October 16, 1927 – January 13, 1995) was an American artist. Known primarily as a collagist and correspondence artist, he was a seminal figure in the history of Neo-Dada and early Pop art and was described as

Rhoda Sherbell Rhoda Sherbell (born 1933) is a contemporary American sculptor, consultant, and teacher whose work is displayed in prominent institutions and has won many awards. Life She was born in Brooklyn; New York gave her access to world class museums th ...

, and Jamie Wyeth. Due to Watson’s social influence and the quality of the artwork she collected, gallery openings were often attended by famous and influential people, including Grace Kelly, French painter and author Francoise Gilot, and American comedian

Walter Matthau Walter Matthau (; born Walter John Matthow; October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an American actor, comedian and film director. He is best known for his film roles in '' A Face in the Crowd'' (1957), ''King Creole'' (1958) and as a coach of a ...

. In addition to an author and a gallery director, Watson was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Heckscher Museum of Art, an Art Consultant to

Adelphi University Adelphi University is a private university in Garden City, New York. Adelphi also has centers in Manhattan, Hudson Valley, and Suffolk County. There is also a virtual, online campus for remote students. It is the oldest institution of higher ed ...

, and Cultural Deputy for the United States of the Association for Economic Expansion and Tourism of the Canton de Valmont in Normandy. She was also a member of the National Society of Arts & Letters, the

Authors Guild The Authors Guild is America's oldest and largest professional organization for writers and provides advocacy on issues of free expression and copyright protection. Since its founding in 1912 as the Authors League of America, it has counted among ...

, and the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

Persis Willum series

In 1977, Watson published her first book, ''The Fourth Stage of Gainsborough Brown'', the first in a series of five

mystery novels Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as s ...

following amateur detective Persis Willum. Of her protagonist, Watson reportedly stated, "The protagonist is my kind of female: a grown up gal with brains, charm, and attractive foibles - a flesh and blood sleuth who's coincidentally a lady." Watson frequently incorporated her knowledge of art into her novels. * ''The Fourth Stage of Gainsborough Brown'' (1977) * ''The Bishop in the Back Seat'' (1980) * ''Runaway'' (1985) * ''Last Plane from Nice'' (1988) * ''Somebody Killed the Messenger'' (1989)

Death

Watson died on March 17, 2012, in Saint-Cloud, France, at the age of 93.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Clarissa Art gallery owners American socialites 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers Women mystery writers 2012 deaths 1918 births People from Long Island