Chester Dale
Chester Dale | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date New York City, United States |
| Died | December 16, 1962 (aged 79) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, art collector, philanthropist |
| Known for | Art collection donated to the National Gallery of Art; president of the National Gallery of Art (1955–1962) |
Chester Dale (May 3, 1883 – December 16, 1962) was a prominent American banker and art collector. His fortune was primarily established through activities on the New York Stock Exchange, which allowed him to gather an extensive array of nineteenth- and twentieth-century French paintings. Significant pieces from his collection were gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1941 and later through a bequest in 1963.
Career
Starting at the age of fifteen, Dale entered the financial world as a runner on the New York Stock Exchange in New York City. Throughout his career, he accumulated investments in sectors such as utilities, railroads, and municipal bonds across both the United States and Canada.
Art collection
In 1910, Dale wed Maud Murray, an accomplished painter and art critic who played a crucial role in sparking his interest in collecting modern art. A portrait of Maud by George Bellows from 1919 is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. Similarly, Bellows painted Dale’s portrait in 1922, depicting him with a golf club; this artwork is housed at the National Gallery of Art.
Upon the opening of the National Gallery of Art in 1937, Dale contributed twenty-two American paintings on loan and shortly afterward expanded his support by providing two galleries dedicated to French Impressionist art. He made an additional donation to the museum in 1941.
The 1963 bequest from Dale included important works by artists such as Paul Cézanne, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. It also featured George Bellows’ Both Members of This Club, Cézanne’s Portrait of Louis Guillaume, and Picasso’s Family of Saltimbanques. These masterpieces were originally part of his collection at the Plaza Hotel. This generous gift encompassed over two hundred paintings, seven sculptures, twenty-two prints, upwards of one thousand sales catalogs and books, along with three fellowships supported by a $500,000 endowment.
President of the National Gallery of Art
Dale held the position of president at the National Gallery of Art from 1955 until his passing in 1962, guiding its growth and prominence within the art community.