the bolker collection: collector's choice
DESCRIPTION
Brochure to accompany the exhibition of works from the Bolker Collection in the Jundt Galleries of the Jundt Art Museum at Gonzaga University from September 1 - October 15, 2005. Essay by Norman and Esther Bolker.TRANSCRIPT
JU DT ART MUSEUM
THE BOlKER COllECTIONCOLLECTORS' CHOICE
SEPTEMBER1 - OCTOBER 15,2005
GONZAGA UNIVERSITY' SPOKANE' WASHINGTON
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SOME NOTES ONCOLLECTING PRINTS
Anything passes for art if the artist declares it is
art. In the artist's quest for originality and mean-
ing, his work may range from the ridiculous to
the sublime. We call it sublime when we look
at it and say: "This is good - this is really good."
Good art has an effect that defies analysis; the
source of that feeling must be in our psyche.
Some art has only a passing appeal, while some
has appeal for centuries. The art of collecting is
based on recognizing the difference.
We began collecting prints in 1964, when we
bought Pisa, a colored woodcut by Irving Amen,
from a traveling salesman for the Ferdinand Ro-
ten Galleries of Baltimore, Maryland. We knew
nothing about the artist, nor did we know what
a colored woodcut was, but we knew that we
liked it, and we still do. We also knew that it
was an original print, which means that an art-
ist created the image and approved the printing
process. We found prints more approachable
and intimate than oil paintings. You can hold a
print in your hand and look carefully at each line
and space; you can see more clearly what the
artist is trying to say. We were also pleased to
learn that while oil paintings by famous artists
were very expensive, prints on paper by the
same artist, even Rembrandt, were compara-
tively affordable.
Since that time we have learned about the vari-
ous processes that have been invented for making
prints on paper. We have marveled at the creativ-
ity and skill artists show in creating engravings and
etchings, aquatints and mezzotints, woodcuts,
wood engravings, lithographs, and screen prints.
We learned about paper making and its evolution
through the ages, and the need to prevent acidic
materials, such as wood pulp paper, wood, and
various kinds of tapes, from having contact with
works of art on paper. We learned how experts
can authenticate prints by determining the age of
the paper, the watermarks, the signature on the
print, and by consulting a catalogue raisonne.
Eager to learn more about the source of artistic
inspiration, we found a relationship between the
occurrence of historical events and the produc-
tion of works of art. We found that the work
of Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Lievens, and
van Ostade corresponded with prosperity in the
Netherlands after Holland won its independence
from Spain and navigational instruments were
invented that gave Dutch seamen an advan-
tage over their competitors. When Pope [ulius
II expanded papal territories, Michelangelo was
painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When
Germany was defeated in the First World War,
German Expressionists developed a pessimistic,
bleak, and sharp edged kind of art, but America,
victorious and triumphant, blossomed in all of
the arts and sciences. Along the way we learned
about the various artistic movements, progress-
ing from the two-dimensional flatness of the fif-
teenth century woodcut to Cubism and beyond.
We were learning art history.
We began to send for sales catalogues issued by
several reputable art dealers in this country; we
subscribed to several art magazines and to auc-
tion catalogues issued by Sotheby's and Chris-
tie's. The catalogues not only showed a small
illustration of the image but also gave a detailed
description of the condition of the print and its
artistic context. We found both of these houses
to be honest and dependable in their descrip-
tions. We did not hesitate to make bids by mail
or telephone for items offered in New York City
or Los Angeles. In addition to auction purchas-
es, we bought from several dependable private
galleries.
We had only one strict rule in collecting: we
both had to approve of the purchase. This rule
helped to create a balance in the things we
chose. We continued buying prints on a regu-
lar basis, trying to get examples of outstanding
work produced over a period from the fifteenth
to the twentieth century. By the time we had
accumulated about eight hundred prints, we had
an interesting and eclectic collection.
When you own a print, you become responsi-
ble for its preservation. We believe that it is the
owner's responsibility to protect the prints so
that they will be availablefor the enjoyment and
education of future generations. A Rembrandt
etching may be nearly four centuries old and a
Durer woodcut may be five centuries old. Pres-
ervation consists of maintaining these works of
art in an acid free environment, avoiding expo-
sure to bright light and especially to ultraviolet
light and direct handcontact (wear cotton gloves
when handling them), controlling temperature
and humidity, and storing them in dust resistant
acid free museum boxes. You must insure them
againstfire, theft, and water damage.
We also kept a record of all data we could find
relating to our prints, so that the future owner
would have full knowledge of the print's prov-
enance. If you think raising children is a job, try
taking proper care of a print collection! And just
asone cannot select a favorite from among one's
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children, it has been just as difficult to select "our
favorites" from our print collection for this ex-
hibit!
We enjoyed looking at our prints, and we want-
ed to share that pleasure with others, especially
with art students. The logical place for the col-
lection was Gonzaga University, to which WE
gave a substantial number in 1984. At that time
the display and storage areas were in the Ad Gal-
lery, located in the basement of the Adrninistra-
tion Building. This was not a good venue, but il
was the best Gonzaga had at that time.
After a generous gift by Jim and Joann Jundt, the
University constructed the Jundt Art Museum, a
state of the art facility for the conservation and
display of art. We were then pleased to give an
additional gift from our collection in 1995, and
the remainder of our collection in 2003. Others
have also made gifts to the Museum, creating a
wealth of examples illustrating various phases of
graphic art as it developed over the centuries.
With J. Scott Patnode as Director, we know that
the collection will be properly cared for and that
it is being used for the purposes we intended -
for art students to study and for the community
to enjoy.
Dr. Norman and Esther BolkerDonors and Guest Curators
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-----------------------IMAGES-----------------------I. Ben Shahn (American. 1898-1969)
Distressed Man Study. circa 1963. ink drawing. I I 5/8"x 6 314".1984.5.249
2. Childe Hassam (American, 1859-1935)Walt Whitman's Birthplace. 1927. etching. 4 112"x 6 112".1995.22.37
3. Pablo Picasso (Spanish. 1881-1973)Young Woman, for the centenary of Mourlot, 1949 (pub.1953), lithograph and chine colle, 15 5/8"x I I 314".1995.22.87
4. Jan Lievens (Dutch. 1607-1674)St. Anthony, 1665, etching, 9 5/8"x 8".2003.29.20
5. Erich Heckel (German 1883-1970)Young Girl, from Genius 2, No. I, 1913 (pub. 1920), woodcut, 10 3/ 16"x 6 I 1/16".1995.22.39
6. Reginald Marsh (American, 1898-1954)Bread Line - No One Has Starved, 1932 (1969 Whitney Museum of American Art edition), 6 1/4"x I I 314".1984.5.196
7. Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669)Jan Lutma the Elder. Goldsmith, 1656, etching and drypoint, 7 3I4"x 5 7/8".2003.29.30
8. Peter Hurd (American, 1904-1984)Dark Mountain, circa 1960, watercolor, 13 112"x 19314".1984.5.152
9. Max Pechstein (German, 1881-1955)Mannerkopf (Self-Portrait), 1918, drypoint, 6 7/8"x 5 3/8".2003.29.26
I O. Irving Amen (American, b. 1918)Pisa, 1958, woodcut, 16"x 20 112".1995.22.2
I I. Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945)Greeting, 1892, etching, 4 9/16"x 3 7/16".1995.22.52
12. John Steuart Curry (American, 1897-1946)John Brown, 1939, lithograph, 14 3/8"x 107/8".1984.5.64
(Cover)Stanley William Hayter (English, 1901-1988)
Danae, 1954, engraving, etching, soft-ground, scorper, and stencil, 16 3/16"x 12".1984.5.134
The above artworks were gifts to the permanent art collection of Gonzaga University by Dr. Norman andEsther Bolker. They established The Balker Collection in 1984. The collection currently consists of nearly750 prints, drawings, watercolors, and books. The catalogue number following the dimensions of thespecific artwork identifies the year of the donation.
This publication was funded by the Jundt Art Museum's Annual Campaign 2004-2005.© Jundt Art Museum, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA 99258-000 I