Justin K. Thannhauser (1892–1976) was a German art dealer and collector who was an important figure in the development and dissemination of

modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...

in Europe.

Biography

Early years

Justin K. Thannhauser was born in Munich, the son of Charlotte (Nachtigall) and

Heinrich Thannhauser Heinrich Thannhauser (born February 16, 1859, in Hürben, today a district of Krumbach (Swabia); died 1934 on the German-Swiss border) was a German gallery owner and art collector. As an art dealer, he was one of the most important promoters of ea ...

(1859–1935), who was also an art dealer. His family was Jewish. As a child, Justin assisted his father in his Moderne Galerie, one of the three

Thannhauser Galleries The Thannhauser Galleries were established by the Thannhauser family in early 20th century Europe. Their cutting-edge exhibitions helped forge the reputations of many of the most important Modernist artists. History Heinrich Thannhauser (1859– ...

, which was located in Munich. In 1911, Heinrich sent him abroad to further his academic studies, including art history, philosophy, and psychology. Justin studied in Munich, Berlin, Florence, and Paris, with renowned scholars such as

Henri Bergson Henri-Louis Bergson (; ; 18 October 1859 – 4 January 1941) was a French philosopher who was influential in the traditions of analytic philosophy and continental philosophy, especially during the first half of the 20th century until the S ...

Adolf Goldschmidt Adolph Goldschmidt (15 January 1863 – 5 January 1944) was a German Jews, Jewish German art historian. He taught at University of Berlin from 1892 to 1903, and University of Halle from 1904 to 1912. Biography He was born on 15 January 1863 in ...

, and

Heinrich Wölfflin Heinrich Wölfflin (; 21 June 1864 – 19 July 1945) was a Swiss art historian, esthetician and educator, whose objective classifying principles (" painterly" vs. "linear" and the like) were influential in the development of formal analysis in ...

. He later brought Wölfflin and other eminent guests to hold private lectures at the Moderne Galerie, helping to turn it into one of Munich's leading art galleries. While abroad, he also strengthened business contacts with artists and other important art dealers, such as

Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler (25 June 1884 – 11 January 1979) was a German-born art collector, and one of the most notable French art dealers of the 20th century. He became prominent as an art gallery owner in Paris beginning in 1907 and was among ...

(

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

's Parisian dealer) and Wilhelm Uhde. In 1912, Justin returned to Munich to work full-time at the gallery, which had become known for its combination of Munich Modernism (see

Neue Künstlervereinigung München The Neue Künstlervereinigung München (N.K.V.M.), ("New Artists' Association Munich") was an Expressionism art group based in Munich. The registered association was formed in 1909 and prefigured ''Der Blaue Reiter'' (The Blue Rider), the first ...

and

Der Blaue Reiter ''Der Blaue Reiter'' (''The Blue Rider'') was a group of artists and a designation by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc for their exhibition and publication activities, in which both artists acted as sole editors in the almanac of the same name ...

) and French avant-garde painting (see

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

and

Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism (also spelled Postimpressionism) was a predominantly French art movement that developed roughly between 1886 and 1905, from the last Impressionist exhibition to the birth of Fauvism. Post-Impressionism emerged as a reaction a ...

). His new business relationship with

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti Filippo Tommaso Emilio Marinetti (; 22 December 1876 – 2 December 1944) was an Italian poet, editor, art theorist and founder of the Futurist movement. He was associated with the utopian and Symbolist artistic and literary community Abbaye de ...

, however, led to an unprecedented exhibition of works by the

Italian Futurists Futurism ( ) was an Art movement, artistic and social movement that originated in Italy, and to a lesser extent in other countries, in the early 20th century. It emphasized dynamism, speed, technology, youth, violence, and objects such as the ...

. This exhibition, while controversial, brought even greater notoriety to the gallery. In 1913, it held the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of Picasso's work. Justin wrote the introduction to the exhibition catalogue and soon began a close personal and professional relationship with the artist. He acquired many of Picasso's works over the years, including '' Woman Ironing'' (1904) and ''The Blind Man's Meal'' (1903).

World War I and the interwar period

Justin was called to serve in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1914. After being wounded in 1916, he returned to Munich and helped Heinrich to publish three large volumes cataloguing a selection of the gallery's inventory and activities. In 1918, he married his first wife, Kate. She gave birth to their two sons, Heinz and Michel, in 1918 and 1920, respectively. In 1919, as the political and economic situation in Germany continued to decline, Justin decided to move his family to Lucerne, Switzerland. There, he opened a second branch of what was now called Moderne Galerie/Thannhauser. This new venue allowed the family to sell works that were found unfavorable in Germany. Justin ran the Lucerne branch until 1921, when he was called back to Munich to assist his father, who had developed a serious condition in his larynx. The Lucerne gallery continued to be under Justin's direction until 1928, when his cousin Siegfried Rosengart assumed control and changed its name to Galerie Rosengart. Once in Munich, Justin assumed complete control of his father's gallery and brought the two branches under the name Galerien Thannhauser. He began to slowly rebuild the business's reputation, which had weakened during the war, by organizing conservative exhibitions of German paintings and works on paper. He soon returned to the avant-garde, however, showing works by Picasso and

Kandinsky Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky ( – 13 December 1944) was a Russian painter and art theorist. Kandinsky is generally credited as one of the pioneers of abstract art, abstraction in western art. Born in Moscow, he spent his childhood in ...

in 1922, an exhibition of contemporary American artists in 1923, and paintings by

Vlaminck Maurice de Vlaminck (; 4 April 1876 - 11 October 1958) was a French painter. Along with André Derain and Henri Matisse, he is considered one of the principal figures in the Fauvism, Fauve movement, a group of modern artists who from 1904 to 190 ...

in 1925. His most daring endeavors took place in 1926, when he held exhibitions of work by

George Grosz George Grosz (; ; born Georg Ehrenfried Groß; July 26, 1893 – July 6, 1959) was a German artist known especially for his caricatural drawings and paintings of Berlin life in the 1920s. He was a prominent member of the Berlin Dada and New Obj ...

and

Otto Dix Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix (; 2 December 1891 – 25 July 1969) was a German painter and Printmaking, printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of German society during the Weimar Republic and the brutality of war. Alon ...

. In 1927, Justin opened a third gallery in Berlin. The success of this branch quickly surpassed that of the one in Munich; he thus decided to focus completely on the former and closed the latter in 1928. His greatest achievement in the Berlin space took place in 1930, when he presented the largest exhibition of works by

Matisse Henri Émile Benoît Matisse (; 31 December 1869 – 3 November 1954) was a French visual arts, visual artist, known for both his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a drawing, draughtsman, printmaking, printmaker, ...

ever held in Germany.

World War II and post-war years

In 1937, Justin moved with this family to Paris to escape the

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

regime. Although the Nazi government considered Modern art to be "degenerate," he had paid a steep export tax and was thus permitted to bring many important works and archive materials with him. He was, however, forced to liquidate his family's collection of classic German art in order to make this financially possible. Despite this considerable loss, he was able to open a private gallery on rue de Miromesnil. He was also voted into the Syndicat des Editeurs d'Art et Négotiants en Tableaux Modernes, Paris's professional society of art dealers. After the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Justin moved his family back to Switzerland, and then to New York. There, he opened another private gallery. Fortunately, he had managed to bring several important works with him to the United States; the house in Paris would later be looted by Nazi soldiers. However, due to the death of Heinz (who was killed in combat in 1944) and the poor health of Michel (who would ultimately die in 1952), Justin canceled his plans to open a public gallery and placed a large number of works up for auction in 1945. He remained in New York until 1971, where he continued to operate the private gallery, collected art, and assisted museums and galleries with exhibitions and acquisitions. He also hosted many international cultural luminaries in his home, including Picasso,

Louise Bourgeois Louise Joséphine Bourgeois (; 25 December 191131 May 2010) was a French-American artist. Although she is best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, Bourgeois was also a prolific painter and printmaker. She explored a varie ...

Henri Cartier-Bresson Henri Cartier-Bresson (; 22 August 1908 – 3 August 2004) was a French artist and Humanist photography, humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 135 film, 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street ...

Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, ; ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, Futurism and conceptual art. He is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Pica ...

Jean Renoir Jean Renoir (; 15 September 1894 – 12 February 1979) was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. His '' La Grande Illusion'' (1937) and '' The Rules of the Game'' (1939) are often cited by critics as among the greate ...

John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was one of the List of richest Americans in history, wealthiest Americans of all time and one of the richest people in modern hist ...

, and Thomas M. Messer, then Director of the

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, often referred to as The Guggenheim, is an art museum at 1071 Fifth Avenue between 88th and 89th Street (Manhattan), 89th Streets on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. It hosts a permanent coll ...

, among many others. Kate died in 1960, and he married his second wife, Hilde, two years later. In 1963, Justin decided to bequeath the essential works of his collection to the Guggenheim. The size and quality of this gift was unparalleled by any that he had made or would make again. Because the terms called for the works to be permanently installed in a designated space so that they would be publicly accessible, the Guggenheim created the Thannhauser Wing in 1965. The museum space housing the Thannhauser collection has since been expanded and restored. Justin and Hilde retired to Switzerland in 1971, and Justin died in Gstaad on December 26, 1976. After his death, Hilde continued to donate works of art to institutions around the world, including the

Kunstmuseum Bern The Museum of Fine Arts Bern (German: ''Kunstmuseum Bern''), established in 1879 in Bern, is the museum of fine arts of the de facto capital of Switzerland. Collections Its holdings run from the Middle Ages to the present. It houses works by Pa ...

and the Guggenheim. She died in Bern in 1991.

Controversies and lawsuits concerning Holocaust-related art transactions

Thannhauser was involved in art transactions that have resulted in Nazi-era art claims against the Guggenheim Museum, the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

, the Andrew Lloyd Webber Art Foundation, the Bavarian State Paintings Collections, and Chicago art collectors James and

Marilynn Alsdorf Marilynn Alsdorf (1925 - August 1, 2019) was a Chicago art collector, philanthropist and museum trustee. Early life Marilynn Alsdorf, née Bruder, was born in 1925 and grew up in the Rogers Park area on the Far North Side of Chicago. After hig ...

, among others. In each case, the lawsuits were filed in courts by the families of the Jewish collectors who had owned the artworks before Thannhauser dealt with them. In 2003, the heirs of Carlotta Landsberg filed a lawsuit for the return of Picasso's ''Woman in White'' (''Femme en Blanc''), which had been placed in safekeeping with Thannhauser when they fled the Nazis. In 2007, the heirs of Berlin banker Paul von Mendelssohn-Bartholdy requested the restitution of the Picasso oil painting "Le Moulin de la Galette", which Thannhauser had given to the Guggenheim. The lawsuit was settled in a secret agreement between the museum and the heirs. The Mendelssohn-Barthody heirs also filed a lawuit for the return of Picasso's Madame Soler. In January 2023, a claim was filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court against the Guggenheim Museum by the heirs of Karl Adler and Rosi Jacobi demanding the repatriation of Picasso's '' Woman Ironing''. Thannhauser had purchased the painting in 1938, during the

Nazi era Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictat ...

. When he died in 1978, he gave it, along with the rest of his artworks, to the Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim Museum's position concerning Picasso's "Woman Ironing" is that when the painting’s owner sold it, he made a “fair transaction.” However, the heirs claim that it was sold under duress. Also in 2023, the heirs of Hedwig Stern filed a restitution claim for

Vincent Van Gogh Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art. In just over a decade, he created approximately 2,100 artworks ...

's ''Olive Picking'' against the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation in Athens and the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an Encyclopedic museum, encyclopedic art museum in New York City. By floor area, it is the List of largest museums, third-largest museum in the world and the List of larg ...

in New York. Thannhauser had sold ''Olive Picking'' to

Vincent Astor William Vincent Astor (November 15, 1891 – February 3, 1959) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and member of the prominent Astor family. Early life Called Vincent, he was born in New York City on November 15, 1891. Astor was the eld ...

in 1948.

References

Notes

Sources

* Bäckström, Per; Hjartarson, Benedikt, eds. (2014). Decentering the Avant-Garde, Volume 30 of Avant-Garde Critical Studies. Rodopi. p. 189. . * Barnett, Vivian Endicott (1978). The Guggenheim Museum, Justin K. Thannhauser Collection. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. p. 14. . * Drutt, Matthew: "A Showcase for Modern Art: The Thannhauser Collection," in: Drutt, Matthew (Ed.), Thannhauser: The Thannhauser Collection of the Guggenheim Museum, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation 2001, pp. 1–25 * The Thannhauser Gallery: Marketing Van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, 2017. ook review in: http://www.cosmopolis.ch/english/art/e0021000/thannhauser_gallery_e0210000.htm {{DEFAULTSORT:Thannhauser, Justin K. German art dealers Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States 1892 births 1976 deaths