Valentine Dudensing: the dealer who brought European avant-garde to America
Francis Valentine Dudensing (1892–1967) was a prominent gallerist in New York who played a crucial role in bringing European modernism to the United States between 1926 and 1947. He established the Valentine Gallery in 1926, which critic Henry McBride referred to as a 'temple of modernism.' The gallery was notable for hosting the inaugural U.S. solo exhibitions of artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Joan Miró, and Raoul Dufy, along with the first retrospective of Matisse in 1927 and Mondrian's sole solo show in January 1942. Dudensing worked alongside dealers Paul Rosenberg and Paul Guillaume, with his wife Margaret overseeing the gallery's operations. The gallery closed in 1947, and Dudensing later retired in France, where he became less prominent, despite accolades from MoMA's Alfred H. Barr Jr.
Key facts
- Francis Valentine Dudensing operated Valentine Gallery in New York from 1926 to 1947.
- He introduced European avant-garde artists like Giorgio de Chirico, Joan Miró, and Piet Mondrian to the US.
- The gallery hosted the first US solo shows of de Chirico, Miró, and Raoul Dufy.
- In 1927 it organized the first US retrospective of Henri Matisse.
- In January 1942 it held the only solo exhibition of Piet Mondrian during his lifetime.
- In May 1939, Picasso's Guernica was exhibited at the Valentine Gallery.
- Dudensing collaborated with Pierre Matisse, Paul Rosenberg, and Paul Guillaume.
- His wife Margaret 'Bibi' managed the gallery's daily operations.
- Collectors included Lillie P. Bliss, Albert C. Barnes, Chester Dale, Walter P. Chrysler Jr., Duncan Phillips, and James Thrall Soby.
- Works sold through the gallery entered MoMA, the Phillips Collection, and the National Gallery of Art.
- The gallery closed in 1947; Dudensing retired to Castelnau-de-Montmiral, France.
- MoMA's first director Alfred H. Barr Jr. called Dudensing 'perhaps the greatest dealer of his generation.'
Entities
Artists
- Francis Valentine Dudensing
- Giorgio de Chirico
- Joan Miró
- Piet Mondrian
- Pablo Picasso
- Henri Matisse
- Raoul Dufy
- Pierre Matisse
- Curt Valentin
- Alfred Hamilton Barr Jr.
- Julia May Boddewyn
- Henry McBride
- Carl Van Vechten
- Beatrice Caprioli
- Lillie Plummer Bliss
- Albert Coombs Barnes
- Chester Dale
- Walter Percy Chrysler Jr.
- Duncan Phillips
- James Thrall Soby
- Anson Conger Goodyear
- Mrs. Valentine Dudensing
- Paul Rosenberg
- Paul Guillaume
Institutions
- Valentine Gallery
- Richard Dudensing & Son
- School of Paris
- Armory Show
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Phillips Collection
- National Gallery of Art
- Library of Congress
- Modigliani Initiative
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- France
- United States
- Paris
- 57th Street
- Castelnau-de-Montmiral
- Occitania
- Tarn
- Washington D.C.