The Art of the Steal (film)
Encyclopedia
The Art of the Steal is a 2009 documentary
film about the decades-long efforts to resolve financial problems of the Barnes Foundation, an esoteric collection of mostly Modernist and post-Impressionist artworks, resulting in the officers' decision to break Albert C. Barnes
's will
and relocate the collection from Lower Merion
to Philadelphia. The emphasis of the film is on the breaking of Barnes' will.
, its museum corridor.
The highly valuable collection of late-19th- and early-20th-century art includes 181 Renoir
s, 69 Cézannes, 60 Matisses, 44 Picassos, and 14 Modiglianis
. The 9,000-piece collection is valued at over $25 billion. The foundation could not earn enough revenue from visitors at its location to operate the facility and preserve the works.
While the film includes journalists, art historians and public figures on both sides of the long debate, many of the figures discussed in it, for example, Rebecca Rimel (CEO of the Pew Charitable Trust, the group which purportedly benefited financially from the Barnes' move), Raymond G. Perelman (a powerful local billionaire alleged to have orchestrated the move); and Bernard C. Watson (the president of the Barnes Foundation, who was accused of giving over its control to the Philadelphia authorities), declined to be interviewed for the documentary.
The director Don Argot wanted to present an argument, not an objective piece, as he found himself identifying strongly with those who wanted to maintain the collection in its original location. His emphasis was on the breaking of the will, and he used graphics to show its clauses being challenged and overcome, one by one, which some viewers might consider "heavy handed".
claiming the film "lacks objectivity and perspective." Derek Gillman, president and executive director of the foundation, said, "The film was full of unsubstantiated allegations and very one-sided. It was made by people who were hostile to the move and very angry about it. That’s why we didn’t cooperate with the filmmakers. It was not in our interests to do so."
of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 1/2 stars and wrote, "It is perfectly clear exactly what Barnes specified in his will. It was drawn up by the best legal minds. It is clear that what happened to his collection was against his wishes. It is clear that the city fathers acted in obviation of those wishes, and were upheld in a court of appeals. What is finally clear: It doesn't matter a damn what your will says if you have $25 billion, and politicians and the establishment want it."
As of February 2011, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 84% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 57 reviews with an average score of 7.2/10. The site's consensus of reviews was:
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
film about the decades-long efforts to resolve financial problems of the Barnes Foundation, an esoteric collection of mostly Modernist and post-Impressionist artworks, resulting in the officers' decision to break Albert C. Barnes
Albert C. Barnes
Albert Coombs Barnes was an American chemist and art collector. With the fortune made from the development of the antiseptic, anti-blindness drug Argyrol, he founded the Barnes Foundation, an educational institution based on his private collection of art...
's will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
and relocate the collection from Lower Merion
Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Lower Merion Township is a township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania and part of the Pennsylvania Main Line. As of the 2010 census, the township had a total population of 57,825...
to Philadelphia. The emphasis of the film is on the breaking of Barnes' will.
Subject and making of the film
The film covers "the decades-long controversy over the museum’s fortunes and its eventual decision to abandon its longtime home for new quarters in downtown Philadelphia." The Barnes Foundation, operating a gallery located in a residential neighborhood, with restrictions on access, reproduction and touring of its works, struggled financially to survive for decades. Several years ago, it succeeded in challenging the will to enable it to send some pieces on tour to earn enough money for needed renovations to the facility to preserve the artwork and provide security. Finally its leaders decided to move to Philadelphia, which offered incentives including a highly accessible site on the Benjamin Franklin ParkwayBenjamin Franklin Parkway
Benjamin Franklin Parkway is a scenic boulevard that runs through the cultural heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Named for favorite son Benjamin Franklin, the mile-long Parkway cuts diagonally across the grid plan pattern of Center City's Northwest quadrant...
, its museum corridor.
The highly valuable collection of late-19th- and early-20th-century art includes 181 Renoir
Renoir
-People with the surname Renoir :* Pierre-Auguste Renoir , French painter* Pierre Renoir , French actor and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir* Jean Renoir , French film director and son of Pierre-Auguste Renoir...
s, 69 Cézannes, 60 Matisses, 44 Picassos, and 14 Modiglianis
Amedeo Modigliani
Amedeo Clemente Modigliani was an Italian painter and sculptor who worked mainly in France. Primarily a figurative artist, he became known for paintings and sculptures in a modern style characterized by mask-like faces and elongation of form...
. The 9,000-piece collection is valued at over $25 billion. The foundation could not earn enough revenue from visitors at its location to operate the facility and preserve the works.
While the film includes journalists, art historians and public figures on both sides of the long debate, many of the figures discussed in it, for example, Rebecca Rimel (CEO of the Pew Charitable Trust, the group which purportedly benefited financially from the Barnes' move), Raymond G. Perelman (a powerful local billionaire alleged to have orchestrated the move); and Bernard C. Watson (the president of the Barnes Foundation, who was accused of giving over its control to the Philadelphia authorities), declined to be interviewed for the documentary.
The director Don Argot wanted to present an argument, not an objective piece, as he found himself identifying strongly with those who wanted to maintain the collection in its original location. His emphasis was on the breaking of the will, and he used graphics to show its clauses being challenged and overcome, one by one, which some viewers might consider "heavy handed".
Reception
In response to the film's release, Bernard C. Watson, chairman of the Barnes Foundation board of trustees and one of the figures criticized in the film, published an editorial letter in The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
claiming the film "lacks objectivity and perspective." Derek Gillman, president and executive director of the foundation, said, "The film was full of unsubstantiated allegations and very one-sided. It was made by people who were hostile to the move and very angry about it. That’s why we didn’t cooperate with the filmmakers. It was not in our interests to do so."
“The film obviously had a message that didn’t reflect the complexities of the issues,” said Linda Eaton, director of collections at WinterthurShe went on to say, "Changing the will is a legal issue. But changing the institution is a very different issue. Institutions can’t become fossils if they want to survive."WinterthurWinterthur is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. It has the country's sixth largest population with an estimate of more than 100,000 people. In the local dialect and by its inhabitants, it is usually abbreviated to Winti...
. “Even if you agree with their conclusions, that the Barnes should stay where it is, this work is a polemic that’s structured to get people riled up, to get them excited and angry.”
Critical response
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 1/2 stars and wrote, "It is perfectly clear exactly what Barnes specified in his will. It was drawn up by the best legal minds. It is clear that what happened to his collection was against his wishes. It is clear that the city fathers acted in obviation of those wishes, and were upheld in a court of appeals. What is finally clear: It doesn't matter a damn what your will says if you have $25 billion, and politicians and the establishment want it."
As of February 2011, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 84% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 57 reviews with an average score of 7.2/10. The site's consensus of reviews was:
- "Deeply esoteric and unapologetically one-sided, The Art of the Steal proves a documentary doesn't have to make an objective argument as long as it argues well."
External links
- Why Lenny Feinberg funded 'Art of the Steal', San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
- http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/534883711.html?dids=534883711:534883711&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+30%2C+2004&author=Suzanne+Muchnic&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=Fate+of+Barnes%27+artworks+in+limbo%3B+The+collector%27s+will+demands+they+not+be+moved.+But+a+judge+seeks+more+research+before+he+rules.&pqatl=googleFate of Barnes' artworks in limbo; The collector's will demands they not be moved. But a judge seeks more research before he rules.], Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, January 30, 2004