Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Smooke, Marion

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role Collector
dates 1916-2001
city Los Angeles
stateCA
sex F
historical notes Marion Smooke and her husband, Nathan, assembled a formidable collection of twentieth-century French and German paintings and sculpture in the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the works in the collection included: ''Suburban House With Washing,'' a 1917 landscape by Egon Schiele, Modigliani's 1916 ''Portrait of Almaïsa,'' and one of Degas's famous sculptures of a 14-year-old dancer.The collection also included a selection of Picassos from different periods, several Matisse paintings and bronzes, Fauve period paintings by several artists including Derain and Vlaminck, and several German Expressionist paintings. Many were exhibited at “Degas To Picasso: Modern Masters from the Smooke Collection” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1987. Although the Smookes were long affiliated with LACMA—Marion’s husband Nathan and son Michael were on the board of trustees at different points—the estate decided to sell the collection following Marion’s death in 2001. Phillips de Pury & Luxembourg won the rights to the auction, which fetched over $85 million.
decades
of activity
1960-1970
1970-1980
1980-1990
1990-2000
updated 11/24/2025 10:11:49
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Archives/Repository Collection Title Collection Details
Online Archive of California
Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibition records, 1973-2003 EXH.001.001
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see also:
Smooke, Nathan