Phoenix Art Museum acquires works by Jacob van Ruisdael, Julianne Swartz, Eduardo Carrillo, and more

Dec, 14, 2022

New Acquisitions

Phoenix Art Museum acquires works by Jacob van Ruisdael, Julianne Swartz, Eduardo Carrillo, and more

The Museum has added more than 170 works to collection, including a restored Nazi-looted painting by Dutch Golden Age artist, among others

PHOENIX (December 14, 2022) –Phoenix Art Museum has recently added more than 170 works to its collection of more than 20,000 objects of Asian, American, Latin American, European, modern, and contemporary art and fashion design. Notable acquisitions include A River Landscape with a Waterfall (c. 1660) by renowned Dutch painter Jacob van Ruisdael and The Flight of Sor Juana (1982) by Eduardo Carrillo. In addition, the Museum acquired Dress (1996) by James Sterling Paper Fashions and “Daisy Mae” Shift (1960s) by Misty Modes, both of which strengthen the Museum’s holdings of fashion designs made from paper and disposable materials.

Acquisition Highlights

• A River Landscape with a Waterfall (c. 1660) by Jacob van Ruisdael, gifted by Dr. Meryl H. and Mrs. Jeanne Haber, depicts a turbulent waterfall cascading into a pond surrounded by magnificent trees, with churning water and large broken tree limbs in the foreground that suggest the ever-changing nature of life. The work’s most recent provenance is of great interest. In the 1930s, the painting was housed in the home-gallery of Jewish Dutch art dealer Jacques Goudstikker. The saga of his family is a tragedy of the Second World War. As the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, the Goudstikker family fled. Hermann Göring, Nazi Reichsmarschall, looted this painting (pictured on the previous page), along with many others, from the Goudstikker Gallery in Amsterdam. During World War II, the paintings were hidden by the Nazis. In 1945, as the war ended, this work, and others by Old Masters, were recovered by the Allies and the Dutch government. It took nearly 60 years for the Goudstikker family to obtain possession of the paintings once again. This painting was bought at auction in London in 2007. Affixed to the back of the painting are Goudstikker Gallery labels indicating this work’s possession by the Nazis during World War II. On view now in Art of the Americas + Europe galleries.

• Dress (1966) by James Sterling Paper Fashions and “Daisy Mae” Shift (1960s) by Misty Modes were gifted by longtime Museum supporter Kelly Ellman. These colorful and whimsical garments highlight a special moment in fashion history, when garments made of paper and disposable materials took the world by storm. Now part of the Museum’s fashion-design collection, these works spark important conversations about creativity and sustainability.

• Zero Weave (2019) by Julianne Swartz, purchased with funds provided by Jane and Mal Jozoff, is crafted from enameled copper filament that is approximately the diameter of a strand of hair. Repetitive winding builds the frail strands into a soft vessel. This work was previously on view in Stories of Abstraction: Contemporary Latin American Art in the Global Context, which presented rarely seen artworks by some of Latin America’s most innovative contemporary artists. On view now in the Katz Wing for Modern Art.

• Gifted by Ruben and Juliette Carrillo, The Flight of Sor Juana (1982) by Eduardo Carrillo depicts Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, the 17^th-century Mexican nun, poet, and self-taught scholar. Thought by historians to be one of the first published feminist writers of her time, Sor Juana is portrayed with pen and rosary in hand and her body bent to God’s will. The painting showcases Carillo’s ability to move from realism to realms of fantasy in his work. On view now in the Art of the Americas + Europe galleries.

• Old House at Cienega (20^th century) by Fremont F. Ellis, gifted by JPMorgan Chase, is one of Ellis’ outstanding landscape works. Settling in Santa Fe in 1919, the primarily self-taught painter captured his environment and founded one of Santa Fe’s earliest art groups, Los Cinco Pintores. This work was formerly in the collection of Walter Reed Bimson (1892-1980), a pioneering Arizona art collector who headed Valley National Bank. On view now in Orme Lewis Gallery.

• Japanese Landscape with Figures and Boats (c. 1869-1908) by Charles Dater Weldon, gifted by Janet and Peter Mattingly, was created during the Ohio painter’s time spent in Japan. An illustrator, Weldon established a reputation for accurately depicting “the real life of the people.” Portraying a Japanese landscape, this work is an unusual addition to the Museum’s American art collection.  On view now in Orme Lewis Gallery.

• For its collection of Asian art, the Museum acquired approximately 50 Indonesian textiles. Made entirely by hand for both ceremonial and daily wear, the textiles were previously on view in the Museum’s 2010 exhibition Sumatra: Textiles from the Collection of Dr. Thomas J. Hudak. The gift represents the first acquisition of works from Indonesia, expanding the total nations represented in the Art of Asia collection to 14.

About Phoenix Art Museum
Since 1959, Phoenix Art Museum has provided millions of guests with access to world-class art and experiences in an effort to ignite imaginations, create meaningful connections, and serve as a brave space for all people who wish to experience the transformative power of art. Located in Phoenix’s Central Corridor, the Museum is a vibrant destination for the visual arts and the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Each year, more than 300,000 guests engage with critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions and the Museum’s collection of more than 20,000 works of American and Western American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed for visitors of all ages, along with vibrant photography exhibitions made possible through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.