Archives Directory for the History of Collecting in America

Smith, Joan Irvine print view role Collector dates 1933-2019 city Irvine state CA sex F historical notes Athalie Anita Irvine, known as Joan Irvine Smith, was an American philanthropist, arts patron, horse trainer, and heiress to the Irvine family’s ranching fortune. In 1992, along with her mother (Athalie Elinore Richardson Clarke) and son (James Irvine Swinden), she created the Irvine Museum to house the family’s collection. Comprising over 1,300 works—including California Impressionism and plein air paintings from 1890-1930—the collection depicts the state’s distinctive natural environments. It includes paintings, drawings, sketches, and objects by seminal artists such as Franz Bischoff, Jessie Arms Botke, Alson Skinner Clark, Elanor Colburn, Frank Cuprien, Armin Hansen, Anna Althea Hills, Arthur Mathews, Granville Redmond, William Ritschel, Guy Rose, Donna Schuster, William Wendt, and many others. In 2016, Irvine gave 1,200 California Impressionist paintings to the University of California, Irvine, to establish a university museum. updated 11/24/2025 10:11:50 bibliographic search Search Frick Art Reference Library Catalog Search Photoarchive Search Worldcat Archives/Repository Collection Title Collection Details Calisphere California Digital Library (CDL) Office of the President, University of California Joan Irvine Smith at Oaks Farms in Orange County see details... Online Archive of California Guide to the University of California, Irvine, Libraries records AS.023 see details... «  back