She helped found MoMA and pioneered the promotion of work of American and French modern artists at the turn of the 20th century, but until now, her life and legacy remain woefully under examined.
An early pioneer and patron of French and American modernism, Lillie P. Bliss (1864-1931) was one of three female cofounders of MoMA in 1929, and went on to furnish the museum with one of the finest collections of modern art in the world. Presenting case-studies alongside data-driven analysis drawn from original research into the American art market, this book reconstructs Bliss's influential career in rich and compelling detail. It weaves together extensive archival material related to the art and the artists that Bliss collected and patronised – such as Paul Cezanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Georges Seurat, and Odilon Redon –
the art market of the time and the evolution of the New York museum ecosystem, and highlights the importance of private collecting in the development of American museums.
By revisiting MoMA's foundational history, author Irene Walsh explores how Lillie P. Bliss's visionary bequest of over 120 artworks upon her death in 1931 profoundly influenced and shaped the institution, questioning why her pioneering role has been overshadowed by other collectors.
Combining biography, market knowledge, institutional analysis, and art history, it enriches our understanding of early 20th-century dealer dynamics and collection strategies in New York, illuminates the role of collections in shaping art narratives,
while offering contemporary insights into women's agency in the arts.
Global, interdisciplinary, and timely, the book provides fascinating first-hand research into a collector of great importance, and will make a long standing contribution to studies in the art market and 20th-century collecting.
By:
Irene M. Walsh (Independent UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 236mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 20mm
Weight: 720g
ISBN: 9781350459731
ISBN 10: 1350459739
Series: Contextualizing Art Markets
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 26 June 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Series Editor Preface 1. Introduction: Engaging with Modern Art, Artists, and Advocacy in Progressive-era New York Foundations and a turn towards art at an opportune time Establishing a market presence through the Macbeth Gallery The emergence of Arthur B. Davies The Armory Show as seminal moment 2. Collecting and Exhibiting in a Fractured World The Armory Show and war influence art and taste, and reshape the art market Marius deZayas as prime dealer and influencer Inaugural museum exhibitions of modern art provide inspiration 3. Achieving “A Perfectly Rounded Thing” Replicating the museum exhibitions in an expanded collection Opportunities, losses, liberation Advantageous engagement with a transatlantic dealer network Transactional dealer relationships in a post-Davies world 4. From Dream to Reality: A Museum is Born Inception and foundational challenges The exhibition programme’s impact on identity, narrative, and reputation Bliss's valedictory season 5. The Bliss Bequest: “A Big and Generous Idea” The Last Will and Testament as guide and precedent The American Luxembourg as defensive strategy MoMA earns the Bequest 6. The Rise and Fall of the Bliss Collection The Bliss collection at work: didactic exhibitions and donor influence The Bliss collection adrift as institutional identity evolves The war years: financial challenges, management discontinuity, flawed deaccessioning Epilogue Conclusion Select Bibliography Notes Index
Irene M. Walsh is a London-based, independent art historian and writer focused on European and American modern art, museums, and the art markets.
Reviews for Lillie P. Bliss: Collector, Advocate, and Visionary Benefactor of the Museum of Modern Art
The history of collecting achieves maturity with Irene Walsh’s meticulous study of Lillie P. Bliss. Long known for being one of the three creators of MoMA (alongside Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and Mary Quinn Sullivan), this book confirms Bliss' role as an astute participant of the art market and a fervent advocate for modern art. Essential reading for those interested in the study of taste, collecting, art markets and personal ambitions. * Stephen J Bury, Andrew W. Mellon Chief Librarian, Frick Art Research Library, New York * Lillie P. Bliss’s evolution as a passionate collector and resolute supporter of the nascent Museum of Modern Art is deftly interwoven with a richly documented account of America’s emergence as a super-power of the artworld—an absorbing story told with admirable even-handedness. * Elizabeth Cowling, Professor Emerita, History of Art, University of Edinburgh, UK *
