James Rorimer
Encyclopedia
James J. Rorimer was an American museum curator and the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
.
in 1927, James Rorimer was immediately hired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, beginning a career with the Met that would last his entire adult life. From his initial position as an assistant in the Decorative Arts department, he quickly rose through the ranks to become Curator of Medieval Art in 1934. Having worked closely with the previous curator, his mentor Joseph Breck
, Rorimer used his new role to continue Breck's most important project : the planning and construction of the Cloisters
, the new medieval extension to the Met.
In 1938, the Cloisters opened, and Rorimer was named its curator, a position which brought with it new duties as fundraiser and developer for the new collection. Among the pieces purchased by Rorimer for the Cloisters are many of the collection's modern-day "signature works", including the Unicorn Tapestries
.
, and he signed up as an infantry
man in the United States Army
in 1943. He was soon appointed to a job more suited to his specialized skills. As head of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section
of the Western District's Seventh Army, Rorimer was tasked to uncover and preserve significant works of art stolen by the Nazis. By all accounts he relished his new role as one of the "Monuments Men," and was personally responsible for seizing the art collections of both Goering and Goebbels
.
After the war, Rorimer returned to the Met and to a new position (in 1949) as Director of the Cloisters, reporting directly to the Met's director, Francis Henry Taylor
. On Taylor's resignation in 1954, Rorimer was placed on the short list of candidates to fill his role, and he became director of the museum eight months later in 1955. As director, Rorimer proved to be a capable administrator, though his directorship was plagued by contentious battles with trustees and the museum's staff. Nonetheless, the Met acquired many new and significant works during his eleven-year tenure, including Rembrandt's Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, and attendance at the museum tripled from 2 million to 6 million visitors annually.
Rorimer died in his sleep in 1966, of a heart attack.
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...
.
Biography
On his graduation from Harvard UniversityHarvard 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...
in 1927, James Rorimer was immediately hired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art
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...
, beginning a career with the Met that would last his entire adult life. From his initial position as an assistant in the Decorative Arts department, he quickly rose through the ranks to become Curator of Medieval Art in 1934. Having worked closely with the previous curator, his mentor Joseph Breck
Joseph Breck
Joseph Breck , a notable businessman of the 19th century, was born in Medfield, Massachusetts. He founded his business, Joseph Breck & Company, in 1818, in Boston, Massachusetts. From 1822 to 1846, Breck was the editor of the New England Farmer, one of the earliest agricultural magazines...
, Rorimer used his new role to continue Breck's most important project : the planning and construction of the Cloisters
The Cloisters
The Cloisters is a museum located in Fort Tryon Park, New York City. The building, which is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was reconstructed in the 1930s from the architectural elements of several European medieval abbeys...
, the new medieval extension to the Met.
In 1938, the Cloisters opened, and Rorimer was named its curator, a position which brought with it new duties as fundraiser and developer for the new collection. Among the pieces purchased by Rorimer for the Cloisters are many of the collection's modern-day "signature works", including the Unicorn Tapestries
The Hunt of the Unicorn
The Hunt of the Unicorn, often referred to as the Unicorn Tapestries, is a series of seven tapestries dating from 1495–1505. The tapestries show a group of noblemen and hunters in pursuit of a unicorn. It is believed the tapestries were made in the Southern Netherlands.-Production:The...
.
World War II
Rorimer's career at the Met was interrupted by the United States' entry into World War IIWorld 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...
, and he signed up as an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
man in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in 1943. He was soon appointed to a job more suited to his specialized skills. As head of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section
Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program
The Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the Allied armies was established in 1943 to assist in the protection and restitution of cultural property in war areas during and following World War II...
of the Western District's Seventh Army, Rorimer was tasked to uncover and preserve significant works of art stolen by the Nazis. By all accounts he relished his new role as one of the "Monuments Men," and was personally responsible for seizing the art collections of both Goering and Goebbels
Goebbels
Goebbels, alternatively Göbbels, is a common surname in the western areas of Germany. It is probably derived from the Old Low German word gibbler, meaning brewer...
.
After the war, Rorimer returned to the Met and to a new position (in 1949) as Director of the Cloisters, reporting directly to the Met's director, Francis Henry Taylor
Francis Henry Taylor
Francis Henry Taylor was a distinguished American museum director and curator, heading the Metropolitan Museum of Art for fifteen years.He was born in Philadelphia, and started his career as a curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art...
. On Taylor's resignation in 1954, Rorimer was placed on the short list of candidates to fill his role, and he became director of the museum eight months later in 1955. As director, Rorimer proved to be a capable administrator, though his directorship was plagued by contentious battles with trustees and the museum's staff. Nonetheless, the Met acquired many new and significant works during his eleven-year tenure, including Rembrandt's Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, and attendance at the museum tripled from 2 million to 6 million visitors annually.
Rorimer died in his sleep in 1966, of a heart attack.
Trivia
After his tour of duty in World War II, Rorimer habitually wore combat boots as part of his everyday wardrobe, even with formal suits and tuxedos.External links
- PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
(WNETWNETWNET, 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...
, New York): "The Rape of Europa." November 24, 2008.