Philippe de Montebello
Encyclopedia
Philippe de Montebello served from 1977 to 2008 as the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York
. On his retirement, he was both the longest-serving director in the institution's history, and the longest-serving director of any major art museum in the world. From January 2009, Montebello took up a post as the first Fiske Kimball
Professor in the History and Culture of Museums at New York University
's Institute of Fine Arts.
Born to a French aristocrat
ic family, de Montebello immigrated to the United States of America in the 1950s, and became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1955. He was educated in New York City at the Lycée Français
, graduated from Harvard University
with a degree in art history, and earned an MA from New York University
, after which he embarked on a career in Fine Arts. He became the Director of the Metropolitan Museum in 1977 and has become widely known as the public face of the museum.
He announced his retirement on 8 January 2008, stating that he intended to step down by the end of 2008 after more than 31 years at his post.
Guy Philippe Henri Lannes de Montebello in Paris in 1936 to a family descended from the Napoleonic aristocracy, de Montebello was the second of four sons. His father, Count André Roger Lannes de Montebello (Biarritz
, July 6, 1908 - New York City
, December 2, 1986), was a portrait painter, art critic
, and a member of the French Resistance
during World War II
. His mother, Germaine Wiener de Croisset (born in Paris
, October 26, 1913 and married in Paris
, November 30, 1933), was a descendant of the Marquis de Sade
, a daughter of the playwright
Francis de Croisset
, and a half-sister of the arts patron Marie-Laure de Noailles
. One of de Montebello's great-great-great-grandfathers was Jean Lannes
, Duke of Montebello and Marshal of France
.
Both parents were involved in a project to develop a form of three-dimensional photography
, and it was in search of venture capital
for this enterprise that the family came to New York in 1951. Whereas his brothers would all eventually return to France to take up jobs in banking, Philippe stayed in the United States and became an American citizen in 1955.
De Montebello was educated at the Lycée Français
in New York, where he received his baccalauréat
in 1958. He then went on to study art history
at Harvard University
, graduating magna cum laude, before continuing his studies at New York University
's Institute of Fine Arts under Charles Sterling
, an expert in French Renaissance
art.
.
Before his sojourn in Houston, de Montebello had risen through the ranks in the Department of European Paintings at the Met, eventually becoming full curator. He returned to New York in 1974 (he has since remarked that "the happiest moment of my life was booking a one-way ticket out of Houston"), as vice director for curatorial and educational affairs. He became director in 1977.
and religiously at Marnes La Coquette, November 28, 1986 and divorced Laure Marie Dauphine de Sabran-Pontèves (born at Neuilly
, February 26, 1966), by whom he had a son Alexandre (born in New York, May 9, 1987); Laure (born in New York City
, May 5, 1968) married to Robert Bernstein, M.D., with two children, Claire and Maximilian (Max); and Charles (born in Houston, Texas
, January 16, 1971), married to Raasa Leela Shields (born in Richmond, Virginia) with two children, Kivlighan Finch and Everest Leo Myles.
, in a historicizing Beaux-Arts style, and a new high-ceilinged gallery to show off Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
's monumental paintings to their best advantage. Occasional criticism of de Montebello has focused on his alleged conservatism regarding modern and contemporary art: in a 1999 op-ed piece in the New York Times he lauded the city's mayor Rudy Giuliani
for rubbishing Chris Ofili
's infamous painting Holy Virgin Mary, which used elephant dung as one of its materials. In the early years of his tenure, the Department of Modern Art was said to lag behind the museum's other departments in its spending power. But in recent years, the Museum has purchased iconic works by Jasper Johns
, Damien Hirst
, and Robert Rauschenberg
, and mounted exhibitions by contemporary artists like Johns, Rauschenberg, Tara Donovan, Sean Scully, and Kara Walker.
Mr. de Montebello's other major building programs have included the expansion and renovation of period rooms and galleries for the decorative arts, the opening of new permanent exhibition galleries for drawings, prints, and photographs (supplemented in 2007 with the new Joyce and Robert Menschel Hall for Modern Photography), the conservation and installation of the Gubbio Studiolo, the opening of the Antonio Ratti Textile Conservation Center, the opening of the new Mary and Michael Jaharis Gallery for Byzantine art, and the installation of Coptic art in an evocatively designed, crypt-like gallery carved out of former storage space beneath the museum's Great Hall staircase. Current renovation programs underway at the Met will enhance its Medieval art galleries and expand and reinstall the American Wing—projects that will add space without breaking the outside footprint of the building in Central Park.
Under de Montebello's directorship, the Met acquired many major private collections, notably the Jack and Belle Linsky Collection of European Paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts; the Heinz Berggruen collection of works by Paul Klee; the gift of 10 paintings by Clyfford Still by the artist's widow; the Annenberg Collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings; the Florene Schoenborn collection of 20th-century works; the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of modern paintings; the Gilman Paper Company Collection of 19th-century photographs; the Muriel Kallis Steinberg Newman Collection of Abstract Expressionist and other modern works; and most recently, the Diane Arbus archive.
De Montebello also worked to acquire a number of individual masterpieces over the years,including works by Vermeer, Rubens, Guercino, and Nikolaus Gerhaert von Leiden. Among the most celebrated of these acquisitions have been the 11th-century gilt-bronze Cambodian deified king known as the "Golden Boy" in 1988; Vincent Van Gogh's "Wheat Field with Cypresses" in 1993, Jasper Johns' masterwork "White Flag" in 1998, and in 2004 the much-applauded Madonna and Child by the Renaissance master Duccio di Buoninsegna.
Throughout this period, the Met under de Montebello's leadership mounted some 30 special exhibitions annually, involving not only all the museum's 17 curatorial departments, but also presenting works of art on loan from public and private collections around the world (current shows listed on the museum's website, metmuseum.org). Many of the shows were accompanied by the publication of major catalogues. Under de Montebello, the Met has become the leading art book publisher in the U.S., issuing some 25-30 lavishly illustrated volumes each year, most carrying an introduction by the director.
Long the "voice of the Met," de Montebello also narrates the Met's audio guides for both exhibitions and the permanent collection. He lectures on museological matters throughout the world, and has also given public readings of French poetry
by Baudelaire
, Rimbaud
and others at the museum.
in 2001, and later helped forge its policy on spoliated World War II-era art, advocating transparent research into the ownership history of museum collections, and testifying on Capitol Hill. In August 2006 he successfully negotiated the precedent-setting agreement with the Italian government that ended years of disputes regarding the legal ownership of several works in its Greek and Roman collections. Under the terms of the historic pact, Italy provided long-term loans to the Met in exchange for the return of these works.
as he will become the first professor to teach the history and culture of museums at New York University
's Institute of Fine Arts. In addition to being a full-time professor at the IFA, where he will discuss topics such as the history of collecting and the progression and modernization of museums, de Montebello will also advise NYU on its planned overseas campus and curriculum in Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to begin enrolling students in 2010. He plans on teaching a shortened version of his course at the new campus when it opens. He begins teaching at NYU in January 2009 as well as consulting and lecturing at several museums on the modernization of their collections.
De Montebello sometimes servse as host of SundayArts, a weekly program highlighting current New York City exhibitions, cultural institutions and profiling relevant contributors to the arts on WNET
.ORG's Thirteen.
in 1991 (he was promoted to the rank of Officier in 2007). His adopted home country followed suit by awarding him the National Medal of Arts
in 2002, the National Humanities Medal
in 2010, and the Mayor's Arts Award in 2007. De Montebello has also earned the Order of Isabel la Catolica, Encomienda de Numero; the Spanish Institute Gold Medal Award; Knight Commander, Ponitifical Order of St. Gregory the Great; the 2002 Blerancourt Prize; the 2004 Amigos del Museo del Prado Prize; and in 2007 the Order of the Rising Sun
, Gold & Silver Star, from the Government of Japan. He has received honorary degrees from New York University
, Dartmouth College, Lafayette College, Bard College, Iona College, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and his alma mater, Harvard. De Montebello is a recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. On his retirement, he was both the longest-serving director in the institution's history, and the longest-serving director of any major art museum in the world. From January 2009, Montebello took up a post as the first Fiske Kimball
Fiske Kimball
Fiske Kimball was an American architect, architectural historian and museum director.-Biography:Kimball was born in Newton, Massachusetts on December 8, 1888....
Professor in the History and Culture of Museums at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Institute of Fine Arts.
Born to a French aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
ic family, de Montebello immigrated to the United States of America in the 1950s, and became a naturalized citizen of the US in 1955. He was educated in New York City at the Lycée Français
Lycée Français de New York
The Lycée Français de New York , literally The French High School of New York, is an exclusive French-medium school for K-12 students based in Manhattan, New York which follows the French curriculum of study and allows students to study for the French general Baccalauréat, the international option...
, graduated from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
with a degree in art history, and earned an MA from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, after which he embarked on a career in Fine Arts. He became the Director of the Metropolitan Museum in 1977 and has become widely known as the public face of the museum.
He announced his retirement on 8 January 2008, stating that he intended to step down by the end of 2008 after more than 31 years at his post.
Early life
Born CountCount
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
Guy Philippe Henri Lannes de Montebello in Paris in 1936 to a family descended from the Napoleonic aristocracy, de Montebello was the second of four sons. His father, Count André Roger Lannes de Montebello (Biarritz
Biarritz
Biarritz is a city which lies on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast, in south-western France. It is a luxurious seaside town and is popular with tourists and surfers....
, July 6, 1908 - New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, December 2, 1986), was a portrait painter, art critic
Art critic
An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites...
, and a member of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His mother, Germaine Wiener de Croisset (born in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, October 26, 1913 and married in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, November 30, 1933), was a descendant of the Marquis de Sade
Marquis de Sade
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
, a daughter of the playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Francis de Croisset
Francis de Croisset
Francis de Croisset was a Belgium-born French playwright and opera librettist.His opera librettos include Massenet's Chérubin , based on his play of the same name, and Reynaldo Hahn's Ciboulette .He married, in 1910, Marie-Thérèse Bischoffsheim, the widow of banking heir Maurice Bischoffsheim and...
, and a half-sister of the arts patron Marie-Laure de Noailles
Marie-Laure de Noailles
Marie-Laure de Noailles, Vicomtesse de Noailles , was one of the 20th century's most daring and influential patrons of the arts, noted for her associations with Salvador Dalí, Balthus, Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, Luis Buñuel, Francis Poulenc, Jean Hugo, Jean-Michel Frank and others as well as her...
. One of de Montebello's great-great-great-grandfathers was Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
, Duke of Montebello and Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
.
Both parents were involved in a project to develop a form of three-dimensional photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, and it was in search of venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
for this enterprise that the family came to New York in 1951. Whereas his brothers would all eventually return to France to take up jobs in banking, Philippe stayed in the United States and became an American citizen in 1955.
De Montebello was educated at the Lycée Français
Lycée Français de New York
The Lycée Français de New York , literally The French High School of New York, is an exclusive French-medium school for K-12 students based in Manhattan, New York which follows the French curriculum of study and allows students to study for the French general Baccalauréat, the international option...
in New York, where he received his baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
in 1958. He then went on to study art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, graduating magna cum laude, before continuing his studies at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Institute of Fine Arts under Charles Sterling
Charles Sterling
Charles Sterling was a Polish art historian mainly active in France.Aged 19, he fought in the Polish–Soviet War in defence of newly-gained Polish independence and was decorated several times...
, an expert in French Renaissance
French Renaissance
French Renaissance is a recent term used to describe a cultural and artistic movement in France from the late 15th century to the early 17th century. It is associated with the pan-European Renaissance that many cultural historians believe originated in northern Italy in the fourteenth century...
art.
Early career
In 1963, he was given the opportunity to work for the Met as a curatorial assistant in the Department of European Paintings. Thus began his career at the institution to which he was to dedicate his entire professional life, with the exception of a four-and-a-half-year stint (1969–1974) as Director of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TexasTexas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Before his sojourn in Houston, de Montebello had risen through the ranks in the Department of European Paintings at the Met, eventually becoming full curator. He returned to New York in 1974 (he has since remarked that "the happiest moment of my life was booking a one-way ticket out of Houston"), as vice director for curatorial and educational affairs. He became director in 1977.
Family
On June 24, 1961 in New York, he married Edith Myles (born in New York, October 20, 1939), who is the financial-aid director of the Trinity School in New York City. They have three children: Count Marc André Marie (born in New York, October 11, 1964), married civily at ChoiseulChoiseul
-People:*Choiseul . Holders include:-** Caesar, duc de Choiseul , French marshal and diplomat, generally known for the best part of his life as marshal du Plessis-Praslin** Claude de Choiseul , marshal of France in 1693...
and religiously at Marnes La Coquette, November 28, 1986 and divorced Laure Marie Dauphine de Sabran-Pontèves (born at Neuilly
Neuilly
Neuilly is a common place name in France, deriving from the male given name Nobilis or Novellius:...
, February 26, 1966), by whom he had a son Alexandre (born in New York, May 9, 1987); Laure (born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, May 5, 1968) married to Robert Bernstein, M.D., with two children, Claire and Maximilian (Max); and Charles (born in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, January 16, 1971), married to Raasa Leela Shields (born in Richmond, Virginia) with two children, Kivlighan Finch and Everest Leo Myles.
Curator of the Metropolitan Museum
Under his directorship the Metropolitan Museum has nearly doubled in size to two million square feet. Notable changes have included the opening of the beloved Carroll and Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court in 1990, the widely acclaimed new galleries for Greek & Roman art, the recently opened 25000 square feet (2,322.6 m²) Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, the remodelled and reinstalled galleries for Oceanic and Native North American art, and expanded galleries for Chinese, Cypriot, Ancient Near Eastern, and Korean art. In 2007, the Metropolitan reopened its expanded galleries for 19th- and early 20th-century century European paintings and decorative arts, formerly ModernistModernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
, in a historicizing Beaux-Arts style, and a new high-ceilinged gallery to show off Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo , also known as Gianbattista or Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice...
's monumental paintings to their best advantage. Occasional criticism of de Montebello has focused on his alleged conservatism regarding modern and contemporary art: in a 1999 op-ed piece in the New York Times he lauded the city's mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
for rubbishing Chris Ofili
Chris Ofili
Chris Ofili is a Turner Prize winning British painter best known for artworks referencing aspects of his Nigerian heritage, particularly his incorporation of elephant dung. He was one of the Young British Artists, and is now based in Trinidad.-Early life:Ofilli was born in Manchester. He had a...
's infamous painting Holy Virgin Mary, which used elephant dung as one of its materials. In the early years of his tenure, the Department of Modern Art was said to lag behind the museum's other departments in its spending power. But in recent years, the Museum has purchased iconic works by Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns, Jr. is an American contemporary artist who works primarily in painting and printmaking.-Life:Born in Augusta, Georgia, Jasper Johns spent his early life in Allendale, South Carolina with his paternal grandparents after his parents' marriage failed...
, Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst
Damien Steven Hirst is an English artist, entrepreneur and art collector. He is the most prominent member of the group known as the Young British Artists , who dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. He is internationally renowned, and is reportedly Britain's richest living artist,...
, and Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
, and mounted exhibitions by contemporary artists like Johns, Rauschenberg, Tara Donovan, Sean Scully, and Kara Walker.
Mr. de Montebello's other major building programs have included the expansion and renovation of period rooms and galleries for the decorative arts, the opening of new permanent exhibition galleries for drawings, prints, and photographs (supplemented in 2007 with the new Joyce and Robert Menschel Hall for Modern Photography), the conservation and installation of the Gubbio Studiolo, the opening of the Antonio Ratti Textile Conservation Center, the opening of the new Mary and Michael Jaharis Gallery for Byzantine art, and the installation of Coptic art in an evocatively designed, crypt-like gallery carved out of former storage space beneath the museum's Great Hall staircase. Current renovation programs underway at the Met will enhance its Medieval art galleries and expand and reinstall the American Wing—projects that will add space without breaking the outside footprint of the building in Central Park.
Under de Montebello's directorship, the Met acquired many major private collections, notably the Jack and Belle Linsky Collection of European Paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts; the Heinz Berggruen collection of works by Paul Klee; the gift of 10 paintings by Clyfford Still by the artist's widow; the Annenberg Collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings; the Florene Schoenborn collection of 20th-century works; the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection of modern paintings; the Gilman Paper Company Collection of 19th-century photographs; the Muriel Kallis Steinberg Newman Collection of Abstract Expressionist and other modern works; and most recently, the Diane Arbus archive.
De Montebello also worked to acquire a number of individual masterpieces over the years,including works by Vermeer, Rubens, Guercino, and Nikolaus Gerhaert von Leiden. Among the most celebrated of these acquisitions have been the 11th-century gilt-bronze Cambodian deified king known as the "Golden Boy" in 1988; Vincent Van Gogh's "Wheat Field with Cypresses" in 1993, Jasper Johns' masterwork "White Flag" in 1998, and in 2004 the much-applauded Madonna and Child by the Renaissance master Duccio di Buoninsegna.
Throughout this period, the Met under de Montebello's leadership mounted some 30 special exhibitions annually, involving not only all the museum's 17 curatorial departments, but also presenting works of art on loan from public and private collections around the world (current shows listed on the museum's website, metmuseum.org). Many of the shows were accompanied by the publication of major catalogues. Under de Montebello, the Met has become the leading art book publisher in the U.S., issuing some 25-30 lavishly illustrated volumes each year, most carrying an introduction by the director.
Long the "voice of the Met," de Montebello also narrates the Met's audio guides for both exhibitions and the permanent collection. He lectures on museological matters throughout the world, and has also given public readings of French poetry
French poetry
French poetry is a category of French literature. It may include Francophone poetry composed outside France and poetry written in other languages of France.-French prosody and poetics:...
by Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
, Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
and others at the museum.
Retirement
On January 8, 2008, he announced his intention to retire by the end of 2008 . Commenting on his announcement, James R. Houghton, chairman of the institution's board of trustees, stated: "To say that his decision marks the end of an era surely constitutes one of the great understatements, not only in the Museum's life, but in the cultural life of the city, the state, the nation, and the world. Philippe de Montebello's manifest contributions to the Met span four decades bridging two different centuries. He leaves an incomparable legacy of accomplishment that has significantly enhanced the institution and brilliantly served its international public. No museum director anywhere has done more to expand and enrich the appreciation of art for more generations and with greater taste, erudition, diplomacy, and vision. As much as we regret his planned departute, we join in celebrating achievements that will sustain the Metropolitan—its collections, and its magnificent galleries—for generations to come." He was succeeded by Thomas Campbell in September 2008.Association of Art Museum Curators
De Montebello assisted in the formation of the Association of Art Museum CuratorsAssociation of Art Museum Curators
The Association of Art Museum Curators was founded in 2001 to support the role of curators in shaping the mission of art museums in North America...
in 2001, and later helped forge its policy on spoliated World War II-era art, advocating transparent research into the ownership history of museum collections, and testifying on Capitol Hill. In August 2006 he successfully negotiated the precedent-setting agreement with the Italian government that ended years of disputes regarding the legal ownership of several works in its Greek and Roman collections. Under the terms of the historic pact, Italy provided long-term loans to the Met in exchange for the return of these works.
Teaching
De Montebello will use his 30 years of experience as the director of the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
as he will become the first professor to teach the history and culture of museums at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Institute of Fine Arts. In addition to being a full-time professor at the IFA, where he will discuss topics such as the history of collecting and the progression and modernization of museums, de Montebello will also advise NYU on its planned overseas campus and curriculum in Abu Dhabi, which is scheduled to begin enrolling students in 2010. He plans on teaching a shortened version of his course at the new campus when it opens. He begins teaching at NYU in January 2009 as well as consulting and lecturing at several museums on the modernization of their collections.
De Montebello sometimes servse as host of SundayArts, a weekly program highlighting current New York City exhibitions, cultural institutions and profiling relevant contributors to the arts on WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
.ORG's Thirteen.
Honors
Among the numerous accolades that have been bestowed on him, Montebello was made a Chevalier de la Légion d'HonneurLégion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 1991 (he was promoted to the rank of Officier in 2007). His adopted home country followed suit by awarding him the National Medal of Arts
National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...
in 2002, the National Humanities Medal
National Humanities Medal
The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities, broadened citizens’ engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to important resources in the humanities.The award, given by the...
in 2010, and the Mayor's Arts Award in 2007. De Montebello has also earned the Order of Isabel la Catolica, Encomienda de Numero; the Spanish Institute Gold Medal Award; Knight Commander, Ponitifical Order of St. Gregory the Great; the 2002 Blerancourt Prize; the 2004 Amigos del Museo del Prado Prize; and in 2007 the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, Gold & Silver Star, from the Government of Japan. He has received honorary degrees from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, Dartmouth College, Lafayette College, Bard College, Iona College, the Savannah College of Art and Design, and his alma mater, Harvard. De Montebello is a recipient of The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence.
External links
- The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
- Biography, Dartmouth News
- Interview with de Montebello, ApolloApollo (magazine)Apollo is a British fine and decorative arts magazine. Founded in 1925 and based in London, it features a mixture of exhibition reviews, art-world news, profiles of collectors, and articles by scholars....
magazine