The Art Collectors’ Council of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens made possible the purchase of two major paintings for the institution’s American art collections at its annual meeting on April 27. The group, made up of 43 donors from across the region, first voted to acquire The Locomotive (tempera on concrete 58 x 53 ½ in.), made in 1935 by Reginald Marsh (1898–1954) in preparation for a government-commissioned post office mural in Washington, D.C. In a dramatic show of support for the collections, 11 members of the Art Collectors’ Council then contributed additional funds in order to purchase The Breaker Boys (oil on canvas, 50 x 60 in.), painted about 1925 by George Luks (1867–1933). The total funds spent were nearly $1 million.
The new works will go on view in the Virginia Steele Scott Galleries of American Art tomorrow (May 8) for three months, until early August. They will then reappear as signature elements in a new installation planned for June 2014, when The Huntington’s American art galleries expand with 5,400 square feet of new gallery space previously used for storage.
The Art Collectors’ Council
The Huntington’s Art Collectors’ Council is a group of donors who support the growth of the collections through active involvement in the acquisition process. They meet every spring to select works for acquisition presented by The Huntington’s curatorial staff. For information about membership in the Art Collectors’ Council, the public can call Elizabeth Clingerman at 626-405-2225.
Information: 626-405-2100 or huntington.org.