Marilynn Alsdorf (1926-August 1, 2019) was a Chicago art collector, philanthropist and museum trustee.

Early life

Marilynn Alsdorf, née Bruder, was born in 1925 and grew up in the Rogers Park area on the Far North Side of Chicago. After high school at the St. Scholastica Academy, she graduated from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.[1]

In 1953 she married James Alsdorf.[2] Together, they operated Alsdorf International Ltd., an export and investment business.[3] James died in 1990.[4]

Art collector and philanthropist

With her husband; James, Alsdorf collected art. Their collection included 20th century European paintings, antiquities, Indian, Himalayan and Southeast Asian art.[5] In September 1997, Alsdorf gave 400 works of Asian art to the Art Institute of Chicago, of which she was a trustee.[6][7] She also donated to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago[8] and the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum of Art.[1]

Looted art controversies

In 1992 the FBI seized from Alsdorf a painting by Picasso, Femme en Blanc, that had been owned by Carlotta Landsberg and that was suspected of having been looted or sold under duress during the Nazi era.[9] A settlement was reached in 2005 after years of litigation. [10][11]

Over the years concerns have been raised about the origins of antiquities in the Alsdorf collection, notably concerning artworks from Nepal.[12] [13] [14] In 2023, Crain’s Chicago Business and ProPublica reported that nine objects from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf collection that had been returned by the museum to their countries of origin since the late 1980s.[15]

Legacy

Alsdorf died in 2019 at the age of 94. [1][16] In 2020 Christie's auctioned 60 objects from the Alsdorf home in Chicago.[17][18]

Lawsuits

Bennigson v. Alsdorf

See also

Stephen Hahn

Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg

Matthew Bogdanos

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Marilynn Alsdorf, arts patron and collector who gave generously to the Art Institute, dies at 94". Chicago Tribune. 2019-08-24. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  2. ↑ "The Collection of James and Marilynn Alsdorf". christies.com.
  3. ↑ "The Collection of James and Marilynn". christies.com.
  4. ↑ "James Alsdorf, 76, Chicago Executive And Patron of Arts". The New York Times. 1990-04-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  5. ↑ "Archives Directory for the History of Collecting". research.frick.org. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  6. ↑ "Chicago Art Institute Gets 400 Asian Works". The New York Times. 1997-09-24. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  7. ↑ Pal, P.; Little, S. (1997). "A Collecting Odyssey: Indian, Himalayan, and Southeast Asian Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection". S2CID 126639691. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ↑ "MCA - Marilynn B. Alsdorf | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago". mcachicago.org. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  9. ↑ Vogel (NYT), Carol (2004-10-27). "National Briefing | Midwest: Illinois: F.B.I. Seizes Picasso Linked To Nazi Looting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  10. ↑ Egelko, Bob (2005-08-09). "$6.5M settlement in suit over stolen Picasso painting". SFGATE. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  11. ↑ "United States v. One Oil Painting Entitled 'Femme en Blanc' by Pablo Picasso, 362 F. Supp. 2d 1175 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  12. ↑ Times, Nepali (2021-06-13). "How Nepali antiquities got to Chicago museum". nepalitimes.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  13. ↑ "Investigation raises concerns over Art Institute's Nepal items". Chicago Tribune. 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  14. ↑ "A Rare Buddha's Head Statue Once Looted by the Nazis Goes up for Auction in New York | Auctions News | THE VALUE | Art News". TheValue.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  15. ↑ Mills, Elyssa Cherney,Steve (2023-03-20). "Questions Shadow These Items From a Renowned Art Collection". ProPublica. Retrieved 2023-11-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "Marilynn Bruder Alsdorf (BS46) – Medill Magazine". Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  17. ↑ "Ancient Art from the James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection". onlineonly.christies.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
  18. ↑ ""Sacred and Imperial: The James and Marilynn Alsdorf Collection" headlines Asian Art Week September 2020". artdaily.com. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
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