In the historic Neve Tzedek quarter of Tel Aviv, Anat Meidan has quite literally brought history home. A curator, art collector, and researcher, Anat and her husband turned their home into a private museum that displays the Art Nouveau and Art Deco art that they have spent the past thirty years collecting and restoring.
Among the many works in the collection is a portrait of Misia Natanson Sert, painted in 1905 by Charles Picart Le Doux, a student of Renoir. Anat has always been fascinated with the portrait and wanted to learn more about Misia and her life. She decided to travel to the Frick Collection in New York to pursue in-depth research on the Natanson family’s collection and Misia’s role as an art collector. The Frick Art Reference Library, which serves as one of the world’s most complete resources for the study of Western art, seemed like the perfect resource for learning more about Misia.
Anat was awarded a fellowship from the Center for the History of Collecting, established at the Frick Art Reference Library in 2007 to encourage and support the study of the formation of collections of fine and decorative arts. Each year, the Center offers short- and long-term fellowships that provide support to pre-doctoral and post-doctoral researchers, as well as senior scholars. International Arts & Artists is proud to support the Frick Collection and provide J-1 visa sponsorship for international researchers like Anat participating Center’s fellowship program. The wealth of material at the Frick Art Reference Library allowed Anat to research the history and importance of Misia, as well as the impressive private collection Misia and her husband amassed.
We recently caught up with Anat to hear more about her research, her time at the Frick Collection, and what she uncovered about Misia.
What impact has your exchange experience at the Frick Collection had on your life and your research on the Natanson’s collection?
It was a privilege to have been given the opportunity to work at the Frick alongside such committed and dedicated colleagues, who were ready to share with me their professional knowledge and expertise. I feel enriched by the experience and will cherish these days for the rest of my life. The ten weeks I spent at the Frick Collection Library filled me with immense pride and satisfaction at what I was able to achieve. Although I could not complete my research in the time I had at my disposal, I managed to do better than I had expected at the outset and I would very much like to return to the Frick to continue my work.
The initial impetus of my research at the Frick Collection came from a painting from my private collection. It is a portrait of Misia Natanson Sert (1872-1950) painted by Picart Le Doux (1905), and from the moment I acquired the painting I have been intrigued by Misia and her colorful life in Paris. The title of my research is: “Misia Natanson Sert – The Mystery and Mastery of an Art Collector.” Prior to embarking upon my research at the Frick, I already had an extensive knowledge about the fascinating life of Misia who was the muse for painters, writers, and composers who were attracted to her and sought out her close, intimate attention, and company. I also knew about the private collection of paintings she and her husband Thadée Natanson (1868-1951) had built up during twelve years of their marriage and which had a great influence on the artistic scene of late 19thcentury Paris. Their collection, which had to be sold due to financial difficulties, consisted of 65 paintings and was auctioned at Hotel Drouot in Paris on June 13, 1908. Until I actually held the sale catalogue from the 1908 auction which is in the Frick Collection Library, I had no knowledge of all the paintings the Natansons had in their collection. This information was of great importance to me and had a significant impact upon my research. After ten weeks at the Frick Collection Library I had managed to locate, identify, or trace 53 of the paintings, which are either in the possession of major museums and art collections throughout the world (11 are in the United States), private collections, or whose current whereabouts are unknown. This is an important achievement, being one of the main objectives of my research. My exchange experience at the Frick Collection has had a strong, important impact on my life as a researcher and collector. It has encouraged me to pursue different directions: to write a book, to tell the story of the Natanson’s collection, and/or propose an idea for an exhibition.
What is your favorite memory from your exchange program?
My favorite memory from my exchange program is the exciting moment in which I discovered that one of the paintings that had belonged to the Natansons (Lot no. 21 by Cezanne) was stolen from a museum in Oxford on New Year’s Eve in the year 2000, in a daring robbery. It has not been seen since and as far as I can tell this was “breaking news.”
What was your favorite cultural activity to do in New York?
I enjoyed visiting the museums, and going to dance performances and concerts. I was even photographed next to paintings of Misia herself or next to those from her collection.
What advice can you offer to future exchange visitors coming to the United States?
Enjoy it to the utmost. One should know how to combine research program with what city can offer to the visitor.
What does cultural exchange mean to you?
Even though this is not the first time I’ve been to New York, the long period of stay enabled me to get know the city in depth, to do things when it was convenient for me, with no pressure of time. I had the feeling that New York became friendlier to me, or that I became friendlier towards the city.