Henry Gurdon Marquand: “the greatest collector in America”

Portrait of Henry G. Marquand from the illustrated, 1903 catalog.

The Marquand Mansion at Madison Avenue and 68th Street, NYC; From the American Architect and Builders' Guide, June 26, 1886.

Cover of the illustrated, 1903 Marquand catalog displaying the "lunette".

Alma-Tadema designed Grand Piano; Illustration from the Marquand catalog, 1903.

Description of item no. 1363 (1/2), Grand Piano, from the Marquand catalog, 1903.

Description of item no. 1363 (2/2), Grand Piano, from the Marquand catalog, 1903.

Biography

Henry Gurdon Marquand (1819-1902) was a prominent businessman, philanthropist, art collector, and promoter of art education. He served at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as trustee between 1871 and 1902, as treasurer from 1882 until 1889, and as its second president from 1889 until his death in 1902. The Museum recognizes Henry Marquand as one of its most generous donors and resolute supporters.

Marquand was born in New York City to a family of prominent silversmiths. He briefly worked for the family jewelry store called Marquand Bros., but pursued other opportunities after his older brother Frederick sold the business following their father’s passing in 1838.[1] Subsequently, Marquand was able to amass a large amount of money working in real estate and banking. In 1874, Henry and Frederick Marquand purchased the St. Louis and Iron Mountain Railroad along with funds from other investors. Henry later served as the company’s vice president from 1875-1881, president in 1881, and finally the director after its merger with the Missouri Pacific Railroad.[2]

Marquand spent the remainder of his life dedicated to the advancement of the arts, especially at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, while building his own private art collection. He was among the fifty original New York citizens who met in 1869 to plan the creation of the Museum with the mission “to humanize, to educate and to refine a practical and laborious people.” [3] Marquand spent much of his energy building the Museum’s collection. During his lifetime, he donated a selection of his finest works, including fifty Old Master paintings. These paintings, which included four works by Rembrandt and two by Sir Anthony van Dyck, helped to establish the Museum’s international reputation.[4] Marquand was acknowledged for his philanthropic efforts by Alfred Trumble, the editor of The Collector magazine, who characterized him as “the greatest collector in America because he collects not for himself alone, but for a whole people and for all the world."[5]

Residence and collection

Henry Marquand commissioned the architect Richard Morris Hunt (1827-1895) to design his residence located at East 68^th Street and Madison Avenue, New York. Richard Hunt, no stranger to grand projects, also designed a miniature French chateau for William K. Vanderbilt (1849-1920) at 660 Fifth Avenue and 52^nd Street and a large double house in the framework of a French Renaissance palace for Mrs. William Astor (1831-1908) at 65^th Street and Fifth Avenue.[6] Marquand’s red sandstone and brick mansion was also built in the French Renaissance style, however what truly made it remarkable was the way it was decorated.[7] Much of the decor used in the rooms of Marquand’s mansion was acquired through the American painter George H. Boughton (1833-1905) and London dealer Charles W. Deschamps (1848-1908) who were hired to travel throughout Europe searching public and private collections for objects, craftsmen, and artists. Marquand was able to incorporate his diverse art collection into the overall design of the house. Extravagant, decorative objects such as Greek and Roman antiquities, Victorian paintings, Chippendale furniture, Dutch and English silver, Venetian glass, Persian textiles, Dutch paintings and English portraits were thoughtfully organized into thematic rooms. For example, the theme was English Renaissance for the dining room, Greek for the music room, and Japanese for the living room. This decorative style was meant to create a luxurious and comfortable atmosphere for the owner while providing an educational resource for his guests.[8]

The auction catalogues

Marquand’s private art collection was sold at auction following his death in January of 1903. The sale was considered successful, amassing $700,000 [9] for over 2100 decorative objects, 98 paintings, as well as 107 etchings and engravings.[10] The most expensive painting in the auction was A Reading from Homer by Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912), which sold for 30,000 dollars.[11] The painting is now in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

The Frick Art Reference Library owns two editions of the Catalogue of the Art and Literary Property Collected by the Late Henry. G. Marquand, New York, 1903 published by the American Art Association. The mass produced copy is not illustrated. The deluxe illustrated version, one of a run of 250, was made exclusively for subscribers. The deluxe edition has illustration plates that were tipped-in during production within the sewn binding of the publication. The volume is encased in a simple pressed board and is covered by a dust jacket bearing a beautifully embossed golden “lunette” reading “S-Henrici-G-Mercatoris,” the Latin translation of Marquand’s name.[12]

Together the catalogues serve as a valuable resource for documenting the extent of Marquand’s art collection and for providing insight into his artistic inclinations. Annotations in the non-illustrated copy indicate prices secured for objects and afford a basis for evaluating the collection. The catalogues also offer a glimpse into the decorative tastes and market prices that existed during the Gilded Age.[13]

The Grand Piano

Marquand’s Grand Piano and decorative works from the music room in his New York mansion are still celebrated today. Marquand purchased the Grand Piano to be the centerpiece in the music room, which also displayed a collection of Greek vases and Roman sculpture.[14] It was extravagant, massively laden with precious materials and revealed unique design characteristics. The piano epitomized American taste of the times for displaying opulence, status, distinctiveness, and an appreciation for art.

Multiple individuals contributed to the creation of the piano including the designer Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Johnstone, Norman and Company in London created the case, Steinway & Sons manufactured the instrument, and Sir Edward Poynter (1836-1919) painted the rectangular panel above the keyboard. The piano was placed in an overly decorated frame made of ebony and inlaid with red cedar, ivory, mother-of-pearl, and shells. The President of the Royal Academy, Sir Edward J. Poynter commented about the piano to Marquand in a letter saying, “I have no hesitation in saying that is the most beautiful piece of work, both for the design and the workmanship, that I ever saw. In fact, I do not believe that anything has ever been done equal to it.”[15] It cost Marquand about $50,000[16], more than the $40,000 he paid for Sir Anthony van Dyck’s portrait of “James Stuart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox,” [17] purchased from the collection of Baron Frederick Methuen.[18]

The Grand Piano is now located at The Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[19] There were also two piano stools, a pair of armchairs, and two settees designed by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema to decorate the remainder of the music room. One armchair is currently at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London[20] and the other is at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.[21] A surviving settee is at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.[22]

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