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Title
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Whitney, Gertrude Vanderbilt (1875-1942)
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birthday
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1875-01-09
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Birthplace
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New York City, NY
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Death Date
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1942-04-18
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Occupation
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Sculptor
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Art collector
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Biographical Text
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Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was a sculptor, art collector, and founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art. Whitney grew up in a wealthy, NYC family, residing in an extravagant 5th Avenue mansion. During a visit to Europe in the 1900s, she discovered the Montmartre and Montparnasse art communities, inspiring her future career. She studied art at the Art Students League of New York, training under a multitude of renowned sculptors. Her first public commission, titled Aspiration, debuted in 1901, outside of the New York State building at the Pan-American Exposition. She worked under a pseudonym at this time, out of fear of her work not being taken seriously should her true identity be attached to it. In 1910, she began releasing work under her own name, holding her first solo show in NYC in 1916.
Throughout World War I, Whitney contributed to relief efforts, setting up a hospital for wounded soldiers outside of Paris. She found the soldiers to be inspiring subjects, and would later utilize sketches of them as inspiration for memorials. Post-war, Whitney took part in the creation of many commemorative sculptures, receiving critical acclaim for her work in both the US and Europe.
Throughout her career, Whitney was dedicated to the advancement of women artists, promoting and taking part in the inclusion of women in exhibitions. ln 1908 she opened the Whitney Studio Gallery, and a few years later the Whitney Studio Club. The Studio Club was a place for young artists to gather, network, and exhibit work. These early galleries morphed into what is now known as the Whitney Museum of American Art. The original building is now the site of the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture.
Whitney married Harry Payne Whitney on August 25, 1896. Together they had three children, Flora Payne Whitney, Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, and Barbara Whitney. Prior to this marriage, a string of love letters were exchanged between Whitney and her close friend Esther. This was caused major controversy, and Whitney's mother Alice forbade her from having contact with Esther, seemingly ending any potential relationship between the two. Whitney passed on April 18, 1942 at the age of 67 from a heart condition. She was buried beside her husband in Woodlawn Cemetery, in The Bronx, NY.
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Contributor
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O'Neill, Iris
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Sculpture and Signage
The Founders of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Statue