In the Absence of Foreign Currency: The Acquisition of "Samson Blinded" by Lovis Corinth

From the Central Archive of the Staatliche Museen Berlin

Authors

  • Jörn Grabowski

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23690/jams.v6i1.135

Abstract

Based on sources in the Berlin state museums’ Central Archive, the article describes the complex route to acquisition of a striking painting which had been on loan to the National Gallery in East Berlin since 1958. It was a focal point of the permanent exhibition and visitors perceived it as a permanent fixture of the collection. The acquisition was compounded by the Cold War and the financial difficulties of an East German institution needing to settle with a London-based vendor in hard currency. The tortuous process took almost three decades and is documented in unusual detail in the museum archive. With hindsight, the museum took a justifiable decision in favour of unprecedented steps to acquire a highlight of its collection.

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Published

2022-08-09

How to Cite

Grabowski, J. (2022). In the Absence of Foreign Currency: The Acquisition of "Samson Blinded" by Lovis Corinth: From the Central Archive of the Staatliche Museen Berlin. Journal for Art Market Studies, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.23690/jams.v6i1.135