George R. Goldner

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George R. Goldner
EducationColumbia University (BA)
Princeton University (MFA, PhD)
OccupationFormer curator of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1993-2015)
SpouseNancy Krieg

George R. Goldner is an American curator in charge of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Drawings and Prints from 1993 to 2015.[1] He previously was J. Paul Getty Museum's curator of drawings and paintings from 1983 to 1993.[2]

Biography[edit]

Goldner received his B.A. in 1965 from Columbia University. He entered as mathematics major and switched to art history after being encouraged by his roommate and best friend, Vieri Salvadori, son of Manhattan Project consultant and Columbia University professor Mario Salvadori,[3] to visit Italy.[2] He then earned a MFA and Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1972.[1][2][4]

In the 1970s he taught at the State University of New York at Albany for three years and spent seven years at Occidental College.[1][2]

He left Occidental for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, where he was first head of the photo archives in 1979, then founded the drawings department in 1981 and was named its curator in 1983 by then-director John Walsh.[2] Goldner became the curator of the paintings department in 1989.[5]

Under his tenure, the Getty spent over $300 million in acquiring about 370 paintings.[2] Goldner oversaw famous acquisitions including Portrait of Cosimo the Elder and Portrait of a Halberdier by Pontormo, Vincent van Gogh's Irises, Allegory of Fortune by Dosso Dossi, and La Promenade by Pierre-Auguste Renoir.[5] He also has made important additions of works by Canaletto, Gerrit van Honthorst, Edouard Manet, and Peter Paul Rubens.[2][6]

The London Independent called him the "art world's number one spender."[2]

In 1993, Goldner was hired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art to be Drue Heinz Chairman of the Department of Drawings and Paints. Over the next 21 years, he led his team in making 8,200 acquisitions and strengthened the collection "to the point where it is the most comprehensive and best in the US" with major works by Leonardo, Pontormo and Albrecht Altdorfer.[7][8] Goldner announced retirement in 2014 and worked as an advisor to Leon Black in building his personal art collection.[8] He did not accept payment from the patron until after he retired from the museum.[9] He also remained an advisor to director Thomas P. Campbell until his 2017 exit.[1]

Personal life[edit]

Goldner married Nancy Krieg, a paintings restorer, on February 16, 1992.[10] His first marriage ended in divorce.[10]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "George R. Goldner to Step Down After Leading Metropolitan Museum's Department of Drawings and Prints for 21 Years; Nadine M. Orenstein to Become Drue Heinz Curator in Charge of the Department". The Met. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "ART : The Grand Acquisitor : With his daring purchases for the Getty, George Goldner has also bought himself a reputation--as a connoisseur and fearless critic of the art world". Los Angeles Times. 1992-02-23. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  3. ^ "Mario G. Salvadori, Engineer, Architect, Consultant on Manhattan Project, 90". Columbia University News. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Goldner, George R. (1978). Niccolò and Piero Lamberti. Outstanding dissertations in the fine arts. New York: Garland Pub. ISBN 978-0-8240-3229-6.
  5. ^ a b "Former Met curator speaks candidly about the New York museum's current challenges". www.theartnewspaper.com. March 2017. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. ^ Russell, John (1990-04-15). "ART VIEW; THE MAN BEHIND THE GETTY'S GETTING AND SPENDING". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  7. ^ Kennedy, Randy (2014-12-11). "Chairman of Met Museum's Drawings and Print Department to Step Down". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  8. ^ a b "Collector Leon Black hires Met's head of drawings to help buy more Old Masters". www.theartnewspaper.com. 31 July 2014. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  9. ^ "Can Museum Curators Ever Moonlight as Art Advisors Without Corrupting Themselves?". Artnet News. 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  10. ^ a b "Nancy Krieg Weds George Goldner". The New York Times. 1992-02-17. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
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