Peachy Landmarks: A Settlement is Reached: Picasso Curtain to Move to New-York Historical Society and Remain on Public View
The New York Landmarks Conservancy tells Whom You Know:
The Landmarks Conservancy has reached a settlement agreement with Aby Rosen, owner of the Seagram Building, that will end our legal battle and place the Picasso Curtain in a new home at The New-York Historical Society-- where it will be seen by an even wider segment of the public.
Vivendi, the company that once owned the Seagram Building, gave the 1919 artwork to the Conservancy in 2005 as a “gift to the City” with the caveat that the Conservancy maintain it in place within the Four Seasons Restaurant where it has hung since the restaurant opened in 1959. The restaurant, designed architect Philip Johnson, is considered one of the loveliest interior landmarks in the country and the Curtain has been its centerpiece.
We did our best to maintain it in place. But our only leverage was that the Curtain is specifically included in the current restaurant lease. It was made clear to us that the Curtain would not be included in whatever new lease is negotiated. So, if we had prevailed in Court, the most a judge could grant is that the Curtain stay until the end of the current lease.
Under the settlement, Mr. Rosen will pay for the Curtain’s removal, any conservation required, and for the move to the Historical Society. That is a great help. The Historical Society, under the able leadership of its President and CEO Louise Mirrer, will provide a wonderful home. We have engaged an excellent art moving company and are in the process of selecting a New York City based conservator.
The move will be complicated and our concerns about moving the artwork remain. The Curtain is large—20 feet by 20 feet—and heavy. The canvas material is also brittle. There is the possibility of some damage no matter how careful the move. But we will have conservators on hand—and the Curtain will be taken for conservation—so this is the best chance to move it safely.
Our longtime conservator, Sarah Lowengard, has taken excellent care of the Curtain through the years. We have been assisted recently by a volunteer group of conservators from the American Institute for Conservation chaired by AIC Vice-President Margaret Holben Ellis. The group includes Jim Coddington, Paul Himmelstein, Pete Omlor, Edmund Meade and Matthew Skopek. We are very grateful for their input.
Conservancy Board Member Michael DeChiara, of Zetlin and DeChiara, and his partner James H. Rowland, provided invaluable legal help. We will always be thankful for the enormous amount of time they devoted to this and for their guidance.
Conservancy Advisory Board Member Jennifer Franklin helped fashion our agreement with the Historical Society.
Our quest to save the Curtain garnered national and international publicity and wide support from art experts and writers. The settlement ensures that this now beloved work will be available to the public for the foreseeable future.
