Putnam, Amy, 1874-1958 |
print view
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role
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Collector |
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dates
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1874-1958 |
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city
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San Diego |
| state | CA | | other cities | Bennington, VT; |
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sex
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F |
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historical notes
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Amy Putnam, the youngest of the celebrated Putnam sisters, possessed a deep-seated admiration for Russian culture. In 1918, she embarked on the study of Russian language and literature at Stanford University, which fueled her later fascination with collecting Russian religious icons . Within the private confines of her grand residence at Fourth and Walnut Streets in San Diego, Amy curated an impressive collection of over 300 Russian icons, adorning her living space with these small-scaled masterpieces. Notably, the room dedicated to Russian icons at the Timken Museum of Art, complete with its striking green flocked wallpaper, is a testament to Amy's discerning and distinctive taste.
Amy, Anne, and Irene lived a reclusive existence that left many in San Diego mystified. Despite their withdrawal from public life, they were generous philanthropists, actively supporting various causes, including the Zoological and Humane Societies, musical events, and the arts. In 1938, they embarked on a remarkable journey of cultural enrichment by donating a substantial collection of Old Masters to San Diego. These included works such as an El Greco, a Goya, a Van Dyck, a magnificent Murillo, and a Zurbarán. This gift transformed San Diego's Fine Arts Gallery, now known as the San Diego Museum of Art, into a significant repository of Old Master art.
The Putnam Collection captivated audiences across the nation as it was loaned to institutions like the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the National Gallery in Washington, Harvard's Fogg Museum, the Art Institute in Chicago, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Amy's attorney, Walter Ames, took the reins of their affairs in 1950, facilitating the creation of the Putnam Foundation, a pivotal step in securing all the Putnam paintings for San Diego. Funds were also acquired to establish the Timken Art Gallery in Balboa Park, now home to an collection exclusively composed of Putnam acquisitions.
New purchases by the Putnam Foundation add to the growing list of Old Masters: the Petrus Christus Death of the Virgin with its angels ascending toward heaven bearing the Virgin’s soul; the Pieter Brueghel Parable of the Sower that beckons the viewer into its luminous, infinite distances; Rembrandt’s St. Bartholomew; a number of distinguished American works, including Eastman Johnson’s celebrated Cranberry Harvest, a Winslow Homer, the Benjamin West Fidelia and Speranza, a Frederic Remington, and a gorgeous melancholy landscape by George Inness. |
decades
of activity | 1930-1940
1940-1950
1950-1960
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| website | http://www.timkenmuseum.org/about/history |
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updated
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03/22/2024 12:09:32 |
bibliographic
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