Charles Bierer Wrightsman
Charles Bierer Wrightsman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Pawnee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1986 (aged 90) |
| Occupation(s) | Oil industry leader, art collector |
| Known for | President of Standard Oil of Kansas; art collector and donor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Charles Bierer Wrightsman (June 13, 1895 – May 27, 1986) was a prominent American oil industry leader and a distinguished supporter of the arts. His second spouse, Jayne, was also recognized for her significant contributions to the arts.
Personal life
Wrightsman was born in Pawnee, Oklahoma, the son of Charles John Wrightsman, an oil entrepreneur and attorney from Oklahoma, and Edna Wrightsman. He pursued his education at Phillips Exeter Academy and Stanford University, ultimately earning his degree from Columbia University in 1918. Wrightsman rose to become the president of Standard Oil of Kansas.
He entered into two marriages: initially with Irene Dill Stafford, with whom he had two daughters, one being Charlene Stafford Wrightsman, who later married actor Helmut Dantine and subsequently columnist Igor Cassini. His second marriage was to Jayne Kirkman Larkin (1919–2019).
Wrightsman owned homes in London and Palm Beach, Florida, where he regularly entertained notable personalities including John F. Kennedy. He passed away at his residence on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on May 27, 1986.
Art collection
After retiring, Wrightsman dedicated his fortune to assembling an impressive art collection and generously donated significant works to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Among these were Gerard David's Virgin and Child with Four Angels and Vermeer's Portrait of a Young Woman. His donations also featured masterpieces by artists such as El Greco, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Georges de La Tour, Rubens, and Jacques-Louis David. He financed the creation of eight galleries known as the Wrightsman Rooms at the Museum, which display French furnishings from the 18th century, along with three additional rooms dedicated to period furniture and decorative arts.
In 1961, Wrightsman placed a bid of $392,000 for Francisco Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington, but the British government intervened to retain the painting within the UK, resulting in its acquisition by London's National Gallery.
Polo
In the 1930s, Wrightsman was a skilled polo competitor who owned championship-level polo ponies.