Thomas Ammann
Encyclopedia
Thomas E. Ammann was a leading Swiss art dealer
in Impressionist and Twentieth Century Art and major collector of Post-war and Contemporary Art.
, Switzerland, as the youngest of four children (Eveline, Doris, Susan), Ammann became an art collector while still a teen-ager. Aged 18 he went to work at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger
in Zurich. It was during this time of apprenticeship that Ammann first met Andy Warhol
who would become a close friend. In 1977 Ammann went into business for himself. His unique combination of knowledge, eye for quality, charm, humor, looks and absolute discretion catapulted him to the top of the art world by his mid 30's (Skis with Valentino, dines with Audrey Hepburn
and Elizabeth Taylor
... lives on the Concorde. Remember the roaring '80s, when Zurich-based art dealer deluxe Thomas Ammann trotted the globe, carting home the finest art of the day? ). He was named to the International Best Dressed List
Hall of Fame in 1988.
Thomas Ammann died 9 June 1993, aged 43 - a memorial service for friends and family was held in his honour at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, 18 November 1993 with speakers Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Thomas Krens
, William H. Luers
, Ernst Beyeler, Robert Wilson (director)
, Bob Colacello
, Bianca Jagger
and artists Ross Bleckner
, Francesco Clemente
and Eric Fischl
.
, Gustavo Cisneros
, David Geffen
, Ronald Lauder
, Dinos Martinos, Samuel Newhouse Jr, Stavros Niarchos
, Ronald Perelman
, Yves Saint Laurent and Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza
amongst others.
From his villa by Otto Rudolf Salvisberg on the hill of Zurich, his chalet in Gstaad or his apartment at the Pierre in New York, Thomas Ammann dealt mainly in major paintings and sculpture of twentieth century masters such as Francis Bacon
, Balthus
, Max Beckmann
, Constantin Brâncuşi
, Georges Braque
, Alexander Calder
, Alberto Giacometti
, Wassily Kandinsky
, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
, Paul Klee
, Willem de Kooning
, Fernand Léger
, Henri Matisse
, Joan Miró
, Barnett Newman
, Pablo Picasso
and Mark Rothko
.
Since Ammann's discretion and secrecy in business were legendary, only a few prime examples of artworks which found way into the worlds great museums through his hands are known, such as Max Ernst
's "The Blessed Virgin Chastises the Infant Jesus Before Three Witnesses" in the collection of the Ludwig Museum in Cologne or Vincent van Gogh
's "Portrait of Joseph Roulin" which Ammann sold to the Museum of Modern Art
in New York. Ammann proved to be a major player in the international art auctions in London and New York as a bidder and buyer on record breaking artworks. The press noted "his presence in the worlds salesrooms created a mood of optimism, whatever the market conditions, and his enthusiastic bids for paintings by Cy Twombly
and Andy Warhol
were driven by genuine passion as much as potential profit". Thomas Ammann started organizing exhibitions at his gallery from 1987.
Thomas Ammann Fine Art today is directed by Ammann's second oldest sister Doris who joined the gallery in the late seventies and worked as its financial administrator until her brothers passing away in 1993. Thomas Ammann Fine Art exclusively represents the work of Brice Marden in Europe and since 1999 works closely with The Willem de Kooning Foundation, New York and represents the artists work in Europe.
Tobias Mueller Ammann, Thomas Ammann's sole nephew, is managing director of Zurich's http://www.brunobischofberger.com/Galerie Bruno Bischofberger
] since 1995, after working for Christie's
in London and Athens.
, Cy Twombly
, Brice Marden
, Robert Ryman
, Sigmar Polke
, Eric Fischl
, Francesco Clemente
and Neil Jenney
. Living up to his maxim "You shall not collect what you want to sell", Ammann strictly divided his dealing in early twentieth century art from his collecting postwar and contemporary works. After Ammann's untimely death in 1993, part of his private collection was embedded in his longtime friend, the Swiss Industrialist Stephan Schmidheiny
's corporate collection "Daros".
to Cy Twombly
to donate works to the auction he co-hosted with Patricia Buckley
, the proceeds of which went to the supportive care programme of St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York.
In 1991 as chairman of the international programme, Thomas Ammann organized and hosted the Art Against Aids (AmFAR) gala dinner and 1.5 million dollar fund-raiser at the opening of the art fair Basel with Elizabeth Taylor
and Audrey Hepburn
for some 500 guests, among them the biggest names from the art and entertainment worlds.
's paintings, sculptures and drawings, and with the artists consent, started the vast undertaking of assembling the material needed for such a project to finally create a comprehensive, scholarly and authoritative publication. The initial volumes were eventually published in 2002 and 2004 by Phaidon Press in a joint effort of Thomas Ammann Fine Art and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc., New York.
Art dealer
An art dealer is a person or company that buys and sells works of art. Art dealers' professional associations serve to set high standards for accreditation or membership and to support art exhibitions and shows.-Role:...
in Impressionist and Twentieth Century Art and major collector of Post-war and Contemporary Art.
Life
Born 1950 in ErmatingenErmatingen
Ermatingen is a municipality in the district of Kreuzlingen in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:The Stone Age Westerfeld and Büge shoreline settlements were discovered in 1861 and studied extensively 1981-83, with finds from the Pfyn, Horgen and Corded Ware cultures An Alamanni...
, Switzerland, as the youngest of four children (Eveline, Doris, Susan), Ammann became an art collector while still a teen-ager. Aged 18 he went to work at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger
Bruno Bischofberger
Bruno Bischofberger is an art dealer and gallerist from Zurich, Switzerland, and a major figure in the international art market for several decades...
in Zurich. It was during this time of apprenticeship that Ammann first met Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
who would become a close friend. In 1977 Ammann went into business for himself. His unique combination of knowledge, eye for quality, charm, humor, looks and absolute discretion catapulted him to the top of the art world by his mid 30's (Skis with Valentino, dines with Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
and Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
... lives on the Concorde. Remember the roaring '80s, when Zurich-based art dealer deluxe Thomas Ammann trotted the globe, carting home the finest art of the day? ). He was named to the International Best Dressed List
International Best Dressed List
The International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time.People who have been on the list include from A to Z:-The International Hall of Fame: Women:...
Hall of Fame in 1988.
Thomas Ammann died 9 June 1993, aged 43 - a memorial service for friends and family was held in his honour at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, 18 November 1993 with speakers Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Thomas Krens
Thomas Krens
Thomas Krens is the former director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York City, and currently the Guggenheim's Senior Advisor for International Affairs, overseeing the completion of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi...
, William H. Luers
William H. Luers
William Henry Luers was a diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Venezuela and Czechoslovakia...
, Ernst Beyeler, Robert Wilson (director)
Robert Wilson (director)
Robert Wilson is an American avant-garde stage director and playwright who has been called "[America]'s — or even the world's — foremost vanguard 'theater artist'". Over the course of his wide-ranging career, he has also worked as a choreographer, performer, painter, sculptor, video...
, Bob Colacello
Bob Colacello
Bob Colacello is an American writer. Raised in Bensonhurst, New York, Colacello graduated from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1969, and also has an MFA degree in film criticism from Columbia University Graduate School of the Arts.- Early endeavors and...
, Bianca Jagger
Bianca Jagger
Bianca Jagger is a Nicaraguan-born social and human rights advocate and a former actress and model...
and artists Ross Bleckner
Ross Bleckner
-Life and work:"'I always absolutely thought there was a difference between being a young artist and an important young artist,' said Mr. Bleckner, who grew up in Hewlett, L.I., graduated in 1971 from New York University and earned an M.F.A...
, Francesco Clemente
Francesco Clemente
Francesco Clemente is an Italian and American contemporary artist. Influenced by thinkers as diverse as Gregory Bateson, William Blake, Allen Ginsberg, and J Krishnamurti, the art of Francesco Clemente is inclusive and nomadic, crossing many borders, intellectual and geographical.Dividing his time...
and Eric Fischl
Eric Fischl
Eric Fischl is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker.-Early life:Fischl was born in New York City and grew up on suburban Long Island; his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1967...
.
Gallery
In 1977 Ammann established his own gallery, Thomas Ammann Fine Art which was soon to be visited by major collectors throughout Europe and the Americas. Its patrons included Giovanni AgnelliGiovanni Agnelli
Giovanni Agnelli was an Italian entrepreneur, who founded Fiat car manufacturing in 1899.-Early life:The son of Edoardo Agnelli and Aniceta Frisetti, he was born in Villar Perosa, a small town near Pinerolo, Piedmont, still the main home and burial place of the Agnelli family...
, Gustavo Cisneros
Gustavo Cisneros
Gustavo A. Cisneros Rendiles is a Venezuelan media mogul of Cuban descent. He is among the world's richest men according to Forbes magazine, which estimated his fortune at $4.2 billion in 2010 The New York Times calls Cisneros, "one of Latin America’s most powerful figures" and says he and his...
, David Geffen
David Geffen
David Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...
, Ronald Lauder
Ronald Lauder
Ronald Steven Lauder is a Jewish-American businessman, civic leader, philanthropist, and art collector. Forbes lists Lauder among the richest people of the world with an estimated net worth of $3.0 billion in 2007.-Life and career:...
, Dinos Martinos, Samuel Newhouse Jr, Stavros Niarchos
Stavros Niarchos
Stavros Spyros Niarchos was a Greek shipping tycoon, sometimes known as "The Golden Greek." In 1952, Stavros Niarchos built the first supertankers capable of transporting large quantities of oil, and subsequently earned millions of dollars as global demand for his ships increased.- Early life :He...
, Ronald Perelman
Ronald Perelman
Ronald Owen Perelman is an American business magnate. Through his company MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., he has invested in various companies in grocery, cigar, licorice, makeup, car, photography, television, camping, security, lottery, jewelry, banks, and comic book industries.-Early...
, Yves Saint Laurent and Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza
Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza
Hans Henrik Ágost Gábor Tasso Freiherr Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon et Impérfalva , a noted industrialist and art collector, was a Dutch-born Swiss citizen with a Hungarian title, a legal resident of Monaco for tax purposes, with a declared second residency in the United Kingdom, but in actuality...
amongst others.
From his villa by Otto Rudolf Salvisberg on the hill of Zurich, his chalet in Gstaad or his apartment at the Pierre in New York, Thomas Ammann dealt mainly in major paintings and sculpture of twentieth century masters such as Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
, Balthus
Balthus
Balthasar Klossowski de Rola , best known as Balthus, was an esteemed but controversial Polish-French modern artist....
, Max Beckmann
Max Beckmann
Max Beckmann was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer. Although he is classified as an Expressionist artist, he rejected both the term and the movement...
, Constantin Brâncuşi
Constantin Brancusi
Constantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
, Georges Braque
Georges Braque
Georges Braque[p] was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor who, along with Pablo Picasso, developed the art style known as Cubism.-Early Life:...
, Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder
Alexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
, Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and printmaker.Alberto Giacometti was born in the canton Graubünden's southerly alpine valley Val Bregaglia and came from an artistic background; his father, Giovanni, was a well-known post-Impressionist painter...
, Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow, studying law and economics...
, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a...
, Paul Klee
Paul Klee
Paul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...
, Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning
Willem de Kooning was a Dutch American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands....
, Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
, Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
, Joan Miró
Joan Miró
Joan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
, Barnett Newman
Barnett Newman
Barnett Newman was an American artist. He is seen as one of the major figures in abstract expressionism and one of the foremost of the color field painters.-Early life:...
, Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
.
Since Ammann's discretion and secrecy in business were legendary, only a few prime examples of artworks which found way into the worlds great museums through his hands are known, such as Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
's "The Blessed Virgin Chastises the Infant Jesus Before Three Witnesses" in the collection of the Ludwig Museum in Cologne or Vincent van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
's "Portrait of Joseph Roulin" which Ammann sold to the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York. Ammann proved to be a major player in the international art auctions in London and New York as a bidder and buyer on record breaking artworks. The press noted "his presence in the worlds salesrooms created a mood of optimism, whatever the market conditions, and his enthusiastic bids for paintings by Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly
Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly, Jr. was an American artist well known for his large-scale, freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings, on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors...
and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
were driven by genuine passion as much as potential profit". Thomas Ammann started organizing exhibitions at his gallery from 1987.
Thomas Ammann Fine Art today is directed by Ammann's second oldest sister Doris who joined the gallery in the late seventies and worked as its financial administrator until her brothers passing away in 1993. Thomas Ammann Fine Art exclusively represents the work of Brice Marden in Europe and since 1999 works closely with The Willem de Kooning Foundation, New York and represents the artists work in Europe.
Tobias Mueller Ammann, Thomas Ammann's sole nephew, is managing director of Zurich's http://www.brunobischofberger.com/Galerie Bruno Bischofberger
Bruno Bischofberger
Bruno Bischofberger is an art dealer and gallerist from Zurich, Switzerland, and a major figure in the international art market for several decades...
] since 1995, after working for Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
in London and Athens.
Collection
Besides becoming the leading dealer of his generation by the end of the 1980s and playing in the first league of older dealers such as William Acquavella and Ernst Beyeler, Thomas Ammann was an equally keen supporter and friend of contemporary artists, whose works he exclusively purchased for his own collection. A small selection of his holdings were exhibited at the Kunsthalle Basel in 1985 with the title "From Twombly to Clemente - Selected works from a private collection", curated by the well known art critic and former museum director Jean-Christophe Ammann (no relation). The art world agreed on Thomas Ammann's collection of works of the second half of the twentieth century to be amongst the finest in existence, with unparalleled workgroups of artists such as Andy WarholAndy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly
Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly, Jr. was an American artist well known for his large-scale, freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings, on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors...
, Brice Marden
Brice Marden
Brice Marden , is an American artist, generally described as Minimalist, although his work defies specific categorization. He lives in New York and Eagles Mere.Marden is represented by the Matthew Marks Gallery.-Life:...
, Robert Ryman
Robert Ryman
Robert Ryman is an American painter identified with the movements of monochrome painting, minimalism, and conceptual art. He is best known for abstract, white-on-white paintings. He lives and works in New York.-Early life and career:...
, Sigmar Polke
Sigmar Polke
Sigmar Polke was a German painter and photographer.Polke experimented with a wide range of styles, subject matter and materials. In the 1970s, he concentrated on photography, returning to paint in the 1980s, when he produced abstract works created by chance through chemical reactions between paint...
, Eric Fischl
Eric Fischl
Eric Fischl is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker.-Early life:Fischl was born in New York City and grew up on suburban Long Island; his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1967...
, Francesco Clemente
Francesco Clemente
Francesco Clemente is an Italian and American contemporary artist. Influenced by thinkers as diverse as Gregory Bateson, William Blake, Allen Ginsberg, and J Krishnamurti, the art of Francesco Clemente is inclusive and nomadic, crossing many borders, intellectual and geographical.Dividing his time...
and Neil Jenney
Neil Jenney
Neil Jenney is a self-taught artist born in 1945. He attended Massachusetts College of Art in 1964. In 1966 he moved to New York City where he currently resides....
. Living up to his maxim "You shall not collect what you want to sell", Ammann strictly divided his dealing in early twentieth century art from his collecting postwar and contemporary works. After Ammann's untimely death in 1993, part of his private collection was embedded in his longtime friend, the Swiss Industrialist Stephan Schmidheiny
Stephan Schmidheiny
Stephan Schmidheiny is a Swiss business man and billionaire.-Life:Schmidheiny was born in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in 1947 and completed his Law studies with a doctorate at the University of Zurich in 1972. He started his business career at Eternit Niederurnen and in 1976 he was named CEO of the...
's corporate collection "Daros".
Concerns
Ammann was an early supporter in the fight against AIDS, the illness many prominent figures from the artworld fell victim to. The evening of 2 May 1988, following the auction of the Andy Warhol Collection at Sotheby's in New York, Ammann orchestrated a benefit auction which raised nearly two million US dollars. Ammann convinced artist friends from Jasper JohnsJasper 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...
to Cy Twombly
Cy Twombly
Edwin Parker "Cy" Twombly, Jr. was an American artist well known for his large-scale, freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings, on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors...
to donate works to the auction he co-hosted with Patricia Buckley
Patricia Buckley
Patricia Aldyen Austin Taylor "Pat" Buckley was a Canadian socialite, noted for her fundraising activities and her height; she stood just under six feet. She was the wife of conservative writer and activist William F. Buckley, Jr...
, the proceeds of which went to the supportive care programme of St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York.
In 1991 as chairman of the international programme, Thomas Ammann organized and hosted the Art Against Aids (AmFAR) gala dinner and 1.5 million dollar fund-raiser at the opening of the art fair Basel with Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
and Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
for some 500 guests, among them the biggest names from the art and entertainment worlds.
Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné
It was in 1977 that Thomas Ammann envisioned a Catalogue Raisonné of all of Andy WarholAndy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
's paintings, sculptures and drawings, and with the artists consent, started the vast undertaking of assembling the material needed for such a project to finally create a comprehensive, scholarly and authoritative publication. The initial volumes were eventually published in 2002 and 2004 by Phaidon Press in a joint effort of Thomas Ammann Fine Art and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc., New York.
Publications
- From Twombly to Clemente - Selected works from a Private Collection, Kunsthalle Basel, 1985
- Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné Vol. I (1961-1963)
- Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné Vol. II (1964-1969)
- Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné Vol. III (1970-1974)
Artists of Thomas Ammann Fine Art
- Francis BaconFrancis Bacon (painter)Francis Bacon , was an Irish-born British figurative painter known for his bold, austere, graphic and emotionally raw imagery. Bacon's painterly but abstract figures typically appear isolated in glass or steel geometrical cages set against flat, nondescript backgrounds...
- Giacomo BallaGiacomo BallaGiacomo Balla was an Italian painter.-Biography:Born in Turin, in the Piedmont region of Italy, the son of an industrial chemist, as a child Giacomo Balla studied music....
- BalthusBalthusBalthasar Klossowski de Rola , best known as Balthus, was an esteemed but controversial Polish-French modern artist....
- Jean-Michel BasquiatJean-Michel BasquiatJean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist. His career in art began as a graffiti artist in New York City in the late 1970s, and in the 1980s produced Neo-expressionist painting.-Early life:...
- Max BeckmannMax BeckmannMax Beckmann was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer. Although he is classified as an Expressionist artist, he rejected both the term and the movement...
- Ross BlecknerRoss Bleckner-Life and work:"'I always absolutely thought there was a difference between being a young artist and an important young artist,' said Mr. Bleckner, who grew up in Hewlett, L.I., graduated in 1971 from New York University and earned an M.F.A...
- Constantin BrâncuşiConstantin BrancusiConstantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
- Georges BraqueGeorges BraqueGeorges Braque[p] was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor who, along with Pablo Picasso, developed the art style known as Cubism.-Early Life:...
- Alexander CalderAlexander CalderAlexander Calder was an American sculptor and artist most famous for inventing mobile sculptures. In addition to mobile and stable sculpture, Alexander Calder also created paintings, lithographs, toys, tapestry, jewelry and household objects.-Childhood:Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born in Lawnton,...
- Eric FischlEric FischlEric Fischl is an American painter, sculptor and printmaker.-Early life:Fischl was born in New York City and grew up on suburban Long Island; his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1967...
- Alberto GiacomettiAlberto GiacomettiAlberto Giacometti was a Swiss sculptor, painter, draughtsman, and printmaker.Alberto Giacometti was born in the canton Graubünden's southerly alpine valley Val Bregaglia and came from an artistic background; his father, Giovanni, was a well-known post-Impressionist painter...
- Damien HirstDamien HirstDamien 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,...
- Neil JenneyNeil JenneyNeil Jenney is a self-taught artist born in 1945. He attended Massachusetts College of Art in 1964. In 1966 he moved to New York City where he currently resides....
- Jasper JohnsJasper JohnsJasper 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...
- Wassily KandinskyWassily KandinskyWassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow, studying law and economics...
- Ernst Ludwig KirchnerErnst Ludwig KirchnerErnst Ludwig Kirchner was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a...
- Paul KleePaul KleePaul Klee was born in Münchenbuchsee, Switzerland, and is considered both a German and a Swiss painter. His highly individual style was influenced by movements in art that included expressionism, cubism, and surrealism. He was, as well, a student of orientalism...
- Willem de KooningWillem de KooningWillem de Kooning was a Dutch American abstract expressionist artist who was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands....
- Fernand LégerFernand LégerJoseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
- Roy LichtensteinRoy LichtensteinRoy Lichtenstein was a prominent American pop artist. During the 1960s his paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist and others he became a leading figure in the new art movement...
- Brice MardenBrice MardenBrice Marden , is an American artist, generally described as Minimalist, although his work defies specific categorization. He lives in New York and Eagles Mere.Marden is represented by the Matthew Marks Gallery.-Life:...
- Agnes MartinAgnes MartinAgnes Bernice Martin was an American abstract painter, often referred to as a minimalist; Martin considered herself an abstract expressionist.She won a National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998....
- Henri MatisseHenri MatisseHenri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
- Joan MiróJoan MiróJoan Miró i Ferrà was a Spanish Catalan painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona.Earning international acclaim, his work has been interpreted as Surrealism, a sandbox for the subconscious mind, a re-creation of the childlike, and a manifestation of Catalan pride...
- Barnett NewmanBarnett NewmanBarnett Newman was an American artist. He is seen as one of the major figures in abstract expressionism and one of the foremost of the color field painters.-Early life:...
- Albert OehlenAlbert OehlenAlbert Oehlen is a contemporary German artist. He graduated from the Hochschule für Bildende Kunst, Hamburg, in 1978. Closely associated with the Cologne art scene, he was a member of the Lord Jim Lodge, along with Martin Kippenberger among others...
- Pablo PicassoPablo PicassoPablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
- Jackson PollockJackson PollockPaul Jackson Pollock , known as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. During his lifetime, Pollock enjoyed considerable fame and notoriety. He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality, and...
- Mark RothkoMark RothkoMark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
- Robert RymanRobert RymanRobert Ryman is an American painter identified with the movements of monochrome painting, minimalism, and conceptual art. He is best known for abstract, white-on-white paintings. He lives and works in New York.-Early life and career:...
- Philip TaaffePhilip TaaffePhilip Taaffe is an American artistTaaffe was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey and studied at the Cooper Union in New York, gaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1977....
- Cy TwomblyCy TwomblyEdwin Parker "Cy" Twombly, Jr. was an American artist well known for his large-scale, freely scribbled, calligraphic-style graffiti paintings, on solid fields of mostly gray, tan, or off-white colors...
- Andy WarholAndy WarholAndrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
See also
- Museum Of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
- Beyeler FoundationBeyeler FoundationThe Beyeler Foundation or Fondation Beyeler with its museum in Riehen near Basel owns and oversees the art collection of Hildy and Ernst Beyeler that was built up by the couple over five decades and placed under the aegis of the foundation in 1982. The collection was first publicly exhibited in its...
- The Andy Warhol MuseumThe Andy Warhol MuseumThe Andy Warhol Museum, located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the largest museum in the United States dedicated to a single artist...
- Solomon R. Guggenheim MuseumSolomon R. Guggenheim MuseumThe Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
- TateTate-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
- Menil CollectionMenil CollectionThe Menil Collection, located in Houston refers either to a museum that houses the private art collection of founders John de Menil and Dominique de Menil, or to the collection itself...
- Museum LudwigMuseum LudwigMuseum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany, houses a collection of modern art. It includes works from PopArt, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It also features many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein....
- Kunsthaus ZürichKunsthaus ZürichThe Kunsthaus Zürich houses one of the most important art museums in Switzerland and Europe, collected by the local Kunstverein, called Zürcher Kunstgesellschaft, and holdings running from the Middle Ages to contemporary art, with an emphasis on Swiss art.Kunsthaus is also the name of the tram stop...
- CINOACINOACINOA is the principal art and antique federation worldwide...
- List of most expensive paintings
- Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Persona
- Thomas Ammann, Modern Art Dealer And a Collector, 43 - NY Times
- Art of the Dealer - Thomas Ammann
- Cult of Personality
- Art of making Money
- International Hall of Fame
- Ammann and Gagosian to buy Hughes Warhols together
- Fashion Designer Valentino "Ammann taught us to love art..."
- Bob Colacello's Out
Gallery
- Thomas Ammann Fine Art Ltd
- Artnet homepage of Thomas Ammann Fine Art
- Thomas Ammann Art Trading Ltd
- Daros Collection Switzerland
- Swiss Art Trading Association
- Tate - International Council Members
- Larry Gagosian & Peter Brant Tax Scandal
Sales and acquisitions
- Steven A. Cohen's $137.5 million De Kooning Woman IIIWoman IIIWoman III is a painting by abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning. Woman III is one of a series of six paintings by de Kooning done between 1951 and 1953 in which the central theme was a woman...
- How the MoMA got the Van Gogh "Portrait of Joseph Roulin" (List of most expensive paintings)
- Yves Saint Laurent's Braque
- Lichtenstein's "Torpedo...Los!" sells for record USD 5.5 million
- Francis Bacon's Study for Portrait of van Gogh II
- Ammann buys Leger for $ 39.2 million
- Rothko's Yellow, White, Blue and Warhol's White Car Crash
- Andy Warhol "Mona Lisa, 1963" sold for $ 2.8 million
- Jasper Johns' White Flag
- $31 million Modigliani
- Giacometti's "Standing Woman No. 1"
- Picasso "Nude" sells for three times estimate
- Warhol's large Mao to be auctioned
- Warhol's Skulls at Sotheby's