Colin Barry Bailey is a
British art historian
Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...
and
museum director. Bailey is currently the Director of the
Morgan Library & Museum
The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is situated at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th Street to the south and 37th S ...
in
New York City. He is a scholar of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century
French art, specifically on the artist
Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that "R ...
.
Early life
Born in
London to Max and Hilda Bailey, Bailey received his
Bachelor of Arts from
Brasenose College (1978),
Master of Arts (1982), and
Doctor of Philosophy (1985), all in
Art History from the
University of Oxford. His doctoral dissertation was completed under the supervision of
Francis Haskell and concerned patronage and collecting of French paintings during the end of the
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for "ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
. Shortly thereafter, Bailey was awarded a fellowship in the Department of Paintings at the
J. Paul Getty Museum in
Los Angeles.
Career
Bailey moved to the
United States to begin his curatorial career as Assistant Curator for European Painting and Sculpture before 1900 at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
, where he worked from 1985 to 1989. In that final year, he was appointed Curator of European Painting and Sculpture at the
Kimbell Art Museum, and was promoted to Senior Curator in 1990. Five years later, Bailey was hired as Chief Curator at the
National Gallery of Canada, and was appointed Deputy Director and Chief Curator in 1998.
In 2000, Bailey became the Chief Curator of the
Frick Collection
The Frick Collection is an art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection (normally at the Henry Clay Frick House, currently at the 945 Madison Avenue#2021–present: Frick Madison, Frick Madison) features Old Master paintings and Europe ...
, and in 2008, he gained his first directorial position after being promoted to Associate Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator. Bailey also became an inaugural fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership. While at the Center, Bailey held at a residency at the
Louvre, closely observing its director,
Henri Loyrette.
In 2013, Bailey became the director of the
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, overseeing both the
de Young Museum and the
Legion of Honor
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
. Two years later, Bailey moved back to New York to become the sixth director of the
Morgan Library & Museum
The Morgan Library & Museum, formerly the Pierpont Morgan Library, is a museum and research library in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It is situated at 225 Madison Avenue, between 36th Street to the south and 37th S ...
, succeeding
William Griswold.
Alongside curatorial posts, Bailey has taught art history at a number of institutions, including: the
University of Pennsylvania (1988),
Bryn Mawr College (1989),
Columbia University (2005-2007), and the
Graduate Center, CUNY (2009).
Personal life
In 2013, Bailey married Alan Wintermute in
New York City.
Awards and honors
*Chevalier,
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
(1994)
*Officier, Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (2010)
*Mitchell Prize for the History of Art for ''Patriotic Taste: Collecting Modern Art in Pre-Revolutionary Paris'' (2002-2003).
*Foundation for Italian Art and Culture Excellency Award (2013)
*Fondation Broquette-Gonin Prix du Rayonnement de la Langue et de la Littérature Françaises (2020)
Select works
*
*
*
*
* (co-author with Susan Grace Galassi)
*
*
*
*
See also
*
List of Brasenose College, Oxford people
This is a list of notable people associated with Brasenose College, Oxford. Some individuals fall into several categories. They are sorted alphabetically by surname.
This list of notable alumni consists predominantly of men, due to the fact that ...
*
List of members of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
References
External links
Frick Collection profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Colin B.
Living people
1955 births
Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford
Alumni of the University of Oxford
Gay academics
British art historians
British curators
Directors of museums in the United States
People associated with the J. Paul Getty Museum
People associated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Directors of the Frick Collection
University of Pennsylvania faculty
Bryn Mawr College faculty
Columbia University faculty
Graduate Center, CUNY faculty
Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres