- Occupation
- Curator
- Authority
- ulan:500258108
James Johnson Sweeney (1900–1986) was an American curator, and writer about modern art. Sweeney graduated from Georgetown University in 1922. From 1935 to 1946, he was curator for the Museum of Modern Art. He was the second director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, from 1952 to 1960. During his tenure, he expanded the scope of the collection to include abstract expressionist painting as well as sculpture, established the long term loans program in 1953, and the Guggenheim International Award in 1956. He was also involved in the final years of the construction of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed museum building during which time he had an antagonistic relationship with the architect.Sweeney collected works by: Alexander Archipenko, Constantin Brâncuși, Alberto Burri, Alexander Calder, César, Alberto Giacometti, Lucio Fontana, David Hayes, Willem de Kooning, Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre Soulages.In the late 1960s, Sweeney was a consultant to the National Gallery of Australia during its establishment to advise on issues concerning the display and storage of art. Subsequently, it also acquired paintings by Pollock and de Kooning. The then Australian Prime minister, John Gorton apparently favoured him as the Gallery's first director, despite his age. He also had significant input into its brutalist design. According to the Gallery's first Director, James Mollison, "the size and form of the building had been determined between Colin Madigan and J.J. Sweeney, and the National Capital Development Commission. I was not able to alter the appearance of the interior or exterior in any way...It's a very difficult building in which to make art look more important than the space in which you put the art". Sweeney died April 14, 1986, in Manhattan. (Source: Wikipedia, 2023)
- Occupation
- Curator
- Authority
- ulan:500258108
James Johnson Sweeney (1900–1986) was an American curator, and writer about modern art. Sweeney graduated from Georgetown University in 1922. From 1935 to 1946, he was curator for the Museum of Modern Art. He was the second director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, from 1952 to 1960. During his tenure, he expanded the scope of the collection to include abstract expressionist painting as well as sculpture, established the long term loans program in 1953, and the Guggenheim International Award in 1956. He was also involved in the final years of the construction of the Frank Lloyd Wright designed museum building during which time he had an antagonistic relationship with the architect.Sweeney collected works by: Alexander Archipenko, Constantin Brâncuși, Alberto Burri, Alexander Calder, César, Alberto Giacometti, Lucio Fontana, David Hayes, Willem de Kooning, Fernand Léger, Joan Miró, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre Soulages.In the late 1960s, Sweeney was a consultant to the National Gallery of Australia during its establishment to advise on issues concerning the display and storage of art. Subsequently, it also acquired paintings by Pollock and de Kooning. The then Australian Prime minister, John Gorton apparently favoured him as the Gallery's first director, despite his age. He also had significant input into its brutalist design. According to the Gallery's first Director, James Mollison, "the size and form of the building had been determined between Colin Madigan and J.J. Sweeney, and the National Capital Development Commission. I was not able to alter the appearance of the interior or exterior in any way...It's a very difficult building in which to make art look more important than the space in which you put the art". Sweeney died April 14, 1986, in Manhattan. (Source: Wikipedia, 2023)
Information from Wikipedia, made available under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike License
DOWNLOAD IMAGE
Terms of use
The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum is dedicated to fostering access to its collections to inspire education, research, and creative engagement. Through Access O'Keeffe, the Museum’s digital catalogue raisonné project, we provide free tools for engaging with Georgia O'Keeffe’s full body of work. As part of this initiative, we encourage the download of low-resolution images for educational and fair use purposes.
Certain works by Georgia O'Keeffe are under the copyright of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, while others are managed by different rights holders. For commercial uses, users must seek authorization directly from the respective copyright holder.
By downloading and using these images, users agree to the following terms and conditions of use including the Museum’s reproduction guidelines. Users will play a vital role in preserving the integrity of the artist’s work while supporting broader public access.
Permitted Uses
Fair Use:
Images may be used under fair use principles for purposes such as:
- Educational: Use in teaching materials, presentations, and coursework
- Research and scholarship: Academic research articles, theses, dissertations and noncommercial publications
- Creative projects: Reference or inspiration for personal artwork, such as sketches, paintings, or digital art, if the works are not sold or used commercially.
Conditions of Use
By downloading images of artwork from Access O'Keeffe, users agree to adhere to the Museum’s reproduction guidelines for artwork by Georgia O'Keeffe. Images must not be altered, manipulated, or modified in any way that compromises their integrity or misrepresents the original work. Specifically, artworks may not be cropped, distorted, or subjected to the following alterations:
- Cropping
- Rotation, inversion, or changes to the original proportions
- Color adjustments
- Superimposition of text, graphics, or other elements
- Animation, cartooning, or other forms of reinterpretation
- Removal or modification of blemishes, inscriptions, or other original features
- Printing artwork on 3D materials, including fabrics
Unauthorized Uses
Unauthorized uses of Georgia O'Keeffe’s works include any applications that fall outside the scope of fair use, such as those intended for commercial profit generating purposes.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
- Publications and merchandise that are sold or generate income.
- Reproductions in marketing materials, advertisements, or promotional campaigns.
- Use in exhibitions or displays that charge admission fees.
For any such uses, prior written authorization must be obtained from the appropriate copyright holder noted in Access O'Keeffe.
For any commercial use, prior written permission is required from the copyright holder. Please contact the Digital Experience and Rights Manager at [email protected]
ADD TO LIST
COPY CITATION
James Johnson Sweeney. 1900 - 1986. Access O’Keeffe, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, https://access-ok.okeeffemuseum.org/1187.