Emily Ziemba, director of curatorial administration and research curator for Prints and Drawings, explores how Chicago donors built the Art Institute’s preeminent Picasso collection.
The exhibition Picasso: Drawing from Life shines a light on the fascinating people that were often obscured by the artist’s far-reaching shadow. These individuals, such as his lovers, friends, dealers, and printers, contributed in varying ways to Picasso’s success and continuing mystique. However, one area the exhibition doesn’t explore is Picasso’s collectors. This talk will celebrate the men and women, like Robert Allerton, Margaret Day Blake, and Elizabeth Goodspeed, who helped make the Art Institute of Chicago’s Picasso collection one of the finest in the world.
Video of Picasso and Bobsy Goodspeed: Chapman Films, 1934-43, directed by Mrs. Gilbert W. Chapman (formerly Bobsy Goodspeed). With thanks to Robert Storr.