Wilhelm Valentiner
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner (1880 – 1958) was a German
art historian
and critic
and museum
official. He was born at Karlsruhe
(Baden), and studied at Heidelberg
under Henry Thode
, and in Holland with De Groot and with Bredius, whose assistant he was at the Gallery of The Hague
. In 1905 he was called to Berlin
by William Bode
, under whom he worked at the Kaiser Friedrich Museum and Kunstgewerbe Museum. In 1906 was his dissertation from 1904 on Rembrandt published: Rembrandt auf der Lateinschule. In 1907 he was appointed curator
of the department of decorative arts in the Metropolitan Museum
(New York
), which under his supervision became one of the foremost in the world. After service at the front in the European War
he was, in 1916, attached to the general staff
at Berlin. 1924-1945 he was Director of the Detroit Museum. About 1930 he acquired American citizenship. In 1955 he became the first Director of the then new North Carolina Museum in Raleigh. This position he maintained until his death in September 1958.
Especially known through his writings on Flemish
and Dutch
painting, he published:
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
art historian
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...
and 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 museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
official. He was born at Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
(Baden), and studied at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
under Henry Thode
Henry Thode
Henry Thode was a German art historian.-Biography:He was an art historian at the time of the Weimar republic...
, and in Holland with De Groot and with Bredius, whose assistant he was at the Gallery of The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. In 1905 he was called to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
by William Bode
Wilhelm von Bode
Wilhelm von Bode was a German art historian and curator. Born Arnold William Bode in Calvörde, he was ennobled in 1913...
, under whom he worked at the Kaiser Friedrich Museum and Kunstgewerbe Museum. In 1906 was his dissertation from 1904 on Rembrandt published: Rembrandt auf der Lateinschule. In 1907 he was appointed curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of the department of decorative arts in the Metropolitan Museum
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...
(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...
), which under his supervision became one of the foremost in the world. After service at the front in the European War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he was, in 1916, attached to the general staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
at Berlin. 1924-1945 he was Director of the Detroit Museum. About 1930 he acquired American citizenship. In 1955 he became the first Director of the then new North Carolina Museum in Raleigh. This position he maintained until his death in September 1958.
Especially known through his writings on Flemish
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
and Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
painting, he published:
- Rembrandt auf der Lateinschule, Jahrbuch der preußischen Kunstsammlungen 27 (1906)
- Rembrandt (1907), with BodeWilhelm von BodeWilhelm von Bode was a German art historian and curator. Born Arnold William Bode in Calvörde, he was ennobled in 1913...
- Altholländische Genre Zeichungen (1908), with Bode
- The Art of the Low Countries (1914)
- The Last Years of MichelangeloMichelangeloMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni , commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer who exerted an unparalleled influence on the development of Western art...
(1914) - Rembrandt: wiedergefundene Gemälde, 1910-1922, in 128 Abbildungen (1923)