David Sylvester's Legacy: The Critic Who Changed How Art Was Seen
David Sylvester, a prominent English art critic, passed away on June 19, 2001, at the age of 76 after a struggle with cancer. Throughout his career, he engaged in writing, curating, advising collectors, and broadcasting, solidifying his status as a key figure in the art world. His critical focus often revolved around existential issues such as the body, death, and isolation, and he supported artists like Francis Bacon and Alberto Giacometti. In June 1999, he proposed dimming the lights during the Tate Gallery's Jackson Pollock retrospective to improve the experience. Sylvester also conducted pivotal interviews in "The Brutality of Fact" and extensively wrote about Giacometti in "Looking at Giacometti," earning him the title "golden lion" of English art writing.
Key facts
- David Sylvester died on June 19, 2001, at age 76 after a battle with cancer.
- In June 1999, he suggested turning off lights at the Tate Gallery's Jackson Pollock retrospective to view art in natural daylight.
- He was a critic, curator, advisor, and broadcaster, influencing British and international art taste.
- Sylvester championed artists like Francis Bacon, Alberto Giacometti, Frank Auerbach, and Michael Andrews.
- He conducted famous interviews with artists, including those collected in "The Brutality of Fact" with Francis Bacon.
- Sylvester wrote the book "Looking at Giacometti" and curated a 1968 Henry Moore exhibition.
- He received a Golden Lion award from the Venice Biennale, the only critic to do so.
- Sylvester was associated with institutions like the BBC and the Arts Council, and collectors like the de Menils and Charles Saatchi.
Entities
Artists
- David Sylvester
- Jackson Pollock
- Alberto Giacometti
- Francis Bacon
- Frank Auerbach
- Michael Andrews
- Euan Uglow
- Leon Kossoff
- Robert Morris
- Henry Moore
- Willem De Kooning
- Richard Serra
- Alex Katz
- Jasper Johns
- Kate Greenaway
- Larry Poons
- Glyn Williams
- Vincent van Gogh
- Cecily Brown
- George Orwell
- Sydney Greenstreet
- Baldassare Castiglione
- Bryan Robertson
- Joanna Drew
- Anthony d'Offay
- Larry Gagosian
- Bernard Berenson
- Meryle Secrest
Institutions
- Tate Gallery
- London Review of Books
- New Statesman
- BBC
- Arts Council
- Venice Biennale
- Government-sponsored Arts Council
- artcritical.com
Locations
- London
- England
- United Kingdom
- Paris
- France
- New York
- United States
- Sydney