How to get a picture of an art dealer's activity?
One approach might be to assemble every mention of his or her name.
If, for example, we return to the Balls (see
Disambiguating the Balls and A
rt Provenance Research Red Flags: Alexander Ball) and try to inventory mentions of the Ball art-dealing family in the provenances published by American museums, the result - unformatted, messy, and incomplete - might look something like this:
Seated monkey with snuffbox ACCESSION NUMBER 58.1190
Provenance
1958, A. R. Ball, New York; sold by Ball to the MFA for $15,000.00 (Accession Date: December 11, 1958)
Hunting Group
German about 1760
ACCESSION NUMBER 65.2100
Provenance
By 1944, with A. & R. Ball, New York, NY; June 26, 1944, sold by A. & R. Ball to Forsyth Wickes (b.1876-d.1964), New York and Newport, RI; 1965, bequest of Forsyth Wickes to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 24, 1965)
https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/hunting-group-261222
Figure of Hunter
German about 1750–53
ACCESSION NUMBER 65.2107
Provenance
By 1944, with A. & R. Ball, New York, NY; October 3, 1944, sold by A. & R. Ball to Forsyth Wickes (b.1876-d.1964), New York and Newport, RI; 1965, bequest of Forsyth Wickes to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 24, 1965)
https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/figure-of-hunter-261073
Woodgatherers at the Edge of the Forest
about 1863 Claude Monet
ACCESSION NUMBER 1974.325
Provenance
Amanté, Paris [see note 1].
By 1961, A. and R. Ball, New York [see note 2]. Harold Kaplan, Boston; 1968, gift of Harold Kaplan to the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA; 1968, sold by Rose Art Museum to the MFA. (Accession Date: June 12, 1974)
NOTES:
[1] Daniel Wildenstein, "Claude Monet: Biographie et catalogue raisonné," vol. 1, 1840-1881 (Paris, 1974), p. 128, cat. no. 18.
[2] John Rewald, "The History of Impressionism" (New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 1961), p. 97.
https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/woodgatherers-at-the-edge-of-the-forest-34198
Laughing Man
Study for Le Libéral (Self-Portrait)
undated Louis-Léopold Boilly
ACCESSION NUMBER 65.2536
Provenance
Julien-Léopold (Jules) Boilly, Paris; December 14-16, 1874, Paris Hôtel des Commissaires-Priseurs, lot 101 (as "Une tête d'homme qui rit"); to
A. & R. Ball Works of Art, New York; March 30, 1953, sold to Forsyth Wickes (b.1876-d.1964), New York and Newport, RI; 1965, bequest of Forsyth Wickes to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 24, 1965)
https://www.mfa.org/collections/object/laughing-man-170667
There are 23 European artworks whose provenance mentions Ball at the Boston MFA. The list is too long to reproduce here. For more information, see the
Boston MFA website.
Sir John Frechville Ramsden [1877-1958], 6th Bart., Bulstrode, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire; (sale, Christie's, London, 11 July 1930, no. 23, as Joos van Cleve); sold 1930 to (Hermann Ball, Berlin);[1] (Schaeffer Gallery, Berlin, by 1930);[2] Adolph Caspar Miller, Washington, by 1937;[3] bequest 1952 to NGA.[1] This is known from an annotated copy of the Christie's sale catalogue in the NGA curatorial files. Information about art dealer Hermann Ball and his firm provided by Mrs. H. S. Schaeffer.[2] Mrs. H. S. Schaeffer wrote on 6 June 1983, "It is very possible that Alex Ball [son of gallery founder Hermann] bought the paintings in London and gave them to my husband for sale, as they did not have many paintings at this time. I know that Mr. and Mrs. Miller bought them directly from us." Letter in NGA curatorial files.[3] Washington, Phillips Memorial Gallery, 1937, Paintings and Sculpture Owned in Washington, no. 2 (as Ambrosius Benson).
Johann Dominik Bossi, Munich; by descent to his daughter, Maria Theresia Caroline and her husband Carl Christian Friedrich Beyerlen, Stuttgart; (their sale, H. G. Gutekunst, Stuttgart, 27 March 1882); Dr. Oscar Eisenmann, Cassel; Wilhelm Lübke, Stuttgart; (Joseph Baer & Sons, Frankfurt); Dr. Hans Wendland, Lugano; (his sale, Ball & Graupe, Berlin, 24-25 April 1931, no. 103); Dr. Erich Alport, Oxford; (sold by his estate, Christie's London, 4 July 1972, no. 186); Herbert List [1903-1975], Munich (Lugt 4063); Ursula and Adolf Ratjen, Vaduz, for Wolfgang Ratjen; Wolfgang Ratjen, Munich; purchased 2007 by NGA.
Johann Dominik Bossi, Munich; by descent to his daughter, Maria Theresia Caroline and her husband Carl Christian Friedrich Beyerlen, Stuttgart; (their sale, H. G. Gutekunst, Stuttgart, 27 March 1882); Dr. Oscar Eisenmann, Cassel. Wilhelm Lübke, Stuttgart. (Joseph Baer & Sons, Frankfurt. Dr. Hans Wendland, Lugano; (his sale, Ball & Graupe, Berlin, 24-25 April 1931, no. 103). Dr. Erich Alport, Oxford; (sold by his estate, Christie's London, 4 July 1972, no. 186); Herbert List [1903-1975], Munich (Lugt 4063); Wolfgang Ratjen, Munich; purchased 2007 by NGA.
about 1924 - early 1930s
Prince Ernst Heinrich von Wettin, German, 1896 - 1971 (Schloss Moritzburg, Porzellanquartier in the apartments of Frederick-Augustus II, near Dresden, Germany), sold to Alexander Ball, early 1930s.
Source: Correspondence with Gisela Haase, curator at the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, January 5, 1977.
early 1930s - 1934
Alexander Ball, German (Paris, France), sold to Anna Thomson Dodge, 1934.
Source: Correspondence between Alex Ball and Henry Hawley, curator of decorative arts at the Cleveland Museum of Art, January 2, 1971, in the files of the Sculpture and Decorative Arts Department, J. Paul Getty Museum.
1934 - 1970
Anna Thomson Dodge, American, born Scotland, 1871 - 1970 (Rose Terrace, Breakfast Room, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan), upon her death, held in trust by the estate, 1970.
Source: Collectors' files: Dillman, Mrs. (Dodge), 1, ca. 1925-1933, Duveen Bros. Records, Getty Research Institute, 960015, box 442, folder 5; Correspondence between L. Alavoine and Co. and Mr. F.E. Upton, April 24, 1934, in the files of the J. Paul Getty Museum.
1970 - 1971
Estate of Anna Thomson Dodge, American, born Scotland, 1871 - 1970 [sold, The Highly Important Collection of French Furniture and Works of Art, Christie's, London, June 24, 1971, lot 102, through French and Company to the J. Paul Getty Museum.]
Source: French and Company invoice, June 28, 1971. Box 1986.IA.55-6, Folder 7, April 1971 - January 1971. J. Paul Getty Early Administrative Records, 1939, 1949-1986, undated. The Getty Research Institute (IA10003).
4. (source: Getty Provenance Index Knoedler file)
36700
K-36767
10
A5919
143
20
Morisot, Berthe
MORISOT, BERTHE
French
2761
"Flowers"
SLL "Berthe Morisot"
Still Life
Painting
17 x 21 1/8
1955
01
24
1955
06
20
31000
dollars
for numbers A5919-A5921
8500
dollars
A&R Ball
Ball, (Alexander & R.), Gallery
New York, NY, USA
Sold
R. Thomas McDermott
McDermott, R. Thomas
2950 Lazy Lane, Houston, TX, USA
160
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here to see information underneath.
http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/goupil/jpgs/gri_2012_m_54_b10_175.jpg
36701
K-36768
10
A5920
143
24
Pissarro, Camille
PISSARRO, CAMILLE
French
2438
"Vue de Paris"
S&D LL "C. Pissarro 1903"
Topographical views
Landscape
Painting
22 x 18 1/4
1955
01
24
1955
04
18
31000
dollars
for numbers A5919-A5921
12000
dollars
A&R Ball
Ball, (Alexander & R.), Gallery
New York, NY, USA
Sold
John C. Borden
Borden, John Chaloner
River Road, Rumson, NJ, USA
146
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here to see information underneath.
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36702
K-36769
10
A5921
143
28
Monet, Claude
MONET, CLAUDE
French
1653
"La Seine a chatou"
SLR "Claude Monet"
Landscape
Painting
29 x 21 1/2
1955
01
24
1957
10
18
31000
dollars
for numbers A5919-A5921
A&R Ball
Ball, (Alexander & R.), Gallery
New York, NY, USA
Exchanged
A&R Ball
Ball, (Alexander & R.), Gallery
New York, NY, USA
We exchanged this with A&R Ball for WCA2068 Degas-A6804 Monet plus $50.000-.
This page has an overlay. Click
here to see information underneath.
http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/goupil/jpgs/gri_2012_m_54_b10_175.jpg
35493
K-35538
10
A6804
208
3
Monet, Claude
MONET, CLAUDE
French
1653
Landscape near Giverny
Landscape
Painting
1957
10
18
1958
01
00
23000
dollars
32500
dollars
A & R Ball
30 West 54th St.
Ball, (Alexander & R.), Gallery
New York, NY, USA
Sold
Mrs Norman Woolworth
Woolworth, Pauline E.
515 Madison Ave., New York, NY, USA
369
[sale dates] Jan 1958 (2/6/57) CHM Cards 10/24/57
Click
here to see recto of insert.
http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/goupil/jpgs/gri_2012_m_54_b10_243.jpg
****
Ultimately, if one gathers all the mentions of the art dealer in one place, it might be possible to gain a global view of his or her contributions to the cultural heritage of a country.
Relationships and events involving institutions and a dealer could be codified according to an accepted standard, such as CIDOC-CRM or LINKEDART, building on the efforts by digital humanities experts thus far.
As for URIs, they exist for museums and most art dealers, but it is not clear how to codify the thousands of artworks themselves. If a URI does not exist, can one simply use the URL? How?
What is the view of linked open data experts?
