Bernard Berenson in the garden of his estate Villa I Tatti in 1911

Bernard Berenson (born Bernhard Valvrojenski, June 26, 1865 – October 6, 1959), was an American art historian. He was a major figure in establishing the market for paintings by the "Old Masters". Image File history File linksMetadata Garden_Story_Olivi_B.jpg Summary Bernard Berenson in the gardens of Villa I Tatti, taken in March 1911. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Garden_Story_Olivi_B.jpg Summary Bernard Berenson in the gardens of Villa I Tatti, taken in March 1911. ... June 26 is the 177th day of the year (178th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 188 days remaining. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Art history usually refers to the history of the visual arts. ... An Old Master (or old master) is one of the great European painters who lived 1500 through 1800, or a painting by one of these painters. ...

Personal life

Berenson was born to a Jewish family in Butrimonys (Vilna), Lithuania. His father, Albert, emigrated to Boston from Lithuania with his family in 1875, changing their family name to "Berenson". Berenson graduated from Harvard University and married a woman named Mary Smith, who became a notable art historian in her own right. It was Smith's second marriage; she had formerly been the wife of barrister Frank Costelloe. Bernard Berenson was also involved in a long relationship with Belle da Costa Greene. His biography "Bernard Berenson: The Making of a Legend," mentions his wife's "reluctant acceptance (at times)" of this relationship. The word Jew ( Hebrew: יהודי) is used in a wide number of ways, but generally refers to a follower of the Jewish faith, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity and often a combination of these attributes. ... Vilnius Old Town Vilnius (sometimes Vilna; Polish Wilno, Belarusian Вільня, Russian Вильнюс, see also Cities alternative names) is the capital city of Lithuania. ... Boston is a town and small port c. ... Harvard University campus (old map) Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... A barrister (advocate in Scotland and the Channel Islands, barrister-at-law in England, Wales, Ireland, and elsewhere) is a lawyer found in most Common law jurisdictions who principally, but not exclusively, represents litigants as their advocate before the courts of that jurisdiction. ... Belle da Costa Greene (December 13, 1883 - May 10, 1950) Librarian to J. P. Morgan and after his death she became the first director of the Pierpont Morgan Library. ...

His great-great-niece, Marisa Berenson, is an actress. Her sister, Berry Berenson, was an actress/photographer, and the wife of actor Anthony Perkins. Berry Berenson died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Marisa Berenson (born February 15, 1946) is an American actress and former model. ... Berry Berenson (née Berinthia Berenson, a. ... Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932–September 12, 1992) was an American actor best known for his role as the serial killer Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho. ... The explosion resulting from the crashing of United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower. ...

Professional life

Berenson was considered to have one of the greatest eyes for Renaissance art in the world, and a verdict of authenticity from him was worth a fortune in his day. Renaissance paintings had previously been a small part of the art market, given the difficulty of authenticating them. Berenson's work changed this dramatically. In 1931, Berenson was called to give expert witness in the famous case brought by Andrée Hahn against Joseph Duveen over the attribution of a version of the Da Vinci painting La belle Ferronière, which she planned to sell. Berenson supported Duveen, denying Hahn's attribution of the painting to Da Vinci, but the jury was not convinced by his testimony. They were swayed in part because while under cross-examination, Berenson was unable to recall the medium on which the picture was painted. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... Joseph Duveen (1869 – 1939), later made Baron Duveen of Millbank, was one of the most influential art dealers of all time. ... Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: an architect, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, geometer, musician, futurist and painter. ... La belle Ferronière (Portrait of an Unknown Woman). ...

Berenson enjoyed a close relationship with Duveen, the period's most influential art dealer, who often relied heavily on Berenson's opinion to complete sales of works to prominent collectors who lacked knowledge of the field. Berenson was quiet and deliberating by nature, which sometimes caused friction between him and the boisterous Duveen. Their relationship ended on bad terms after a dispute over the authenticity of a painting meant for the collection of Henry C. Frick. Duveen was selling it as a Giorgione, but Berenson believed it to be an early Titian. The Tempest (c. ... Titian. ...

In recent years it has been discovered that a number of Berenson's attributions were in fact incorrect, and speculation continues as to whether these were deliberate. Berenson often had a considerable financial stake in them.

He published numerous books: "The Art of Florence", "The Art of Venice" and "The Art of Siena" were part of his first book, "The Italian Painters of the Renaissance." He is also the author of "Rumor and Reflection" and "Sunset and Twilight", 2 volumes of journals. He is also the author of "Aesthetics and History" and "Sketch for a Self-portrait. His home in Florence was named I Tatti. It is now the Harvard Center for Renaissance Studies which houses his collection of art and of books on art history and humanism. Florence (Italian, Firenze) is a city in the center of Tuscany, in central Italy, on the Arno River, with a population of around 400,000, plus a suburban population in excess of 200,000. ... Humanism is a broad category of active ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on our ability to determine what is right using the qualities innate to humanity, particularly rationality. ...

External links

• Works by Bernard Berenson at Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg (often abbreviated as PG) is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive, and distribute cultural works. ...

References

• S.N. Behrman (1951-52) "Duveen"
• Ernest Samuels (1979) Bernard Berenson: The Making of a Connoisseur
• Ernest Samuels (1987) Bernard Berenson: The Making of a Legend
• Colin Simpson (1986) Artful Partners: Bernard Berenson and Joseph Duveen
• Mary Ann Calo (1994) Bernard Berenson and the Twentieth Century