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At his first public appearance following the decision by the National Gallery of Canada’s board of trustees not to sell Marc Chagall’s La Tour Eiffel after all, gallery director and CEO Marc Mayer declined Wednesday morning to say much at all about the painting — except that he doesn’t know where it is.
“When we have a little bit more information, when we find out where we stand, which we don’t know today, then we’ll certainly answer your questions,” Mayer said at a brief scrum. Moments earlier, Mayer had made some opening remarks at a media preview for The Extended Moment: Fifty Years of Collecting Photographs, an exhibition that opens Thursday night at the gallery.
“So you don’t know where it (the Chagall painting) is?” a reporter asked.
“If I did, I would tell you. But we don’t know and we have nothing new to add,” Mayer responded. “When we have more to say, we’ll be happy to let you know.”
For much of last month, Mayer championed the sale of the Chagall painting at a mid-May auction at Christie’s in New York, for as much as an estimated $9 million US. The goal of the sale was to raise funds to purchase the painting Saint Jerome Hears the Trumpet of the Last Judgement by Jacques-Louis David, which is owned by the Notre-Dame-de-Québec parish corporation in Quebec City, and which Mayer said was at risk of leaving Canada if the parish corporation sold it to a foreign buyer.
MORE: Here’s what Chagall’s granddaughter had to say about the near-sale of La Tour Eiffel
It emerged in mid-April that two museums in Quebec were also interested in acquiring the David painting, collaborating with the National Gallery if need be. Then, Mayer dismissed a joint venture, which he said could have treated the David painting like the child of divorced parents, shuttling from one museum’s custody to another.
An open letter on April 23 from Mayer and Françoise Lyon, chair of the gallery’s board of trustees, softened the gallery’s position regarding the Quebec museums. The letter also said that the sale of the Chagall painting would proceed to “support the possible acquisition” of the David painting, and to bolster the gallery’s “ability to acquire major works of art.” But also on that day, Quebec’s Minister of Culture effectively blocked the National Gallery from acquiring the David painting by designating it part of Quebec’s heritage, and saying it would remain in that province.
Then, on April 26, another open letter from the gallery announced the board’s decision to call off the sale of the Chagall painting, since the David painting was no longer in danger of leaving Canada. That letter, which was unsigned, noted “the passionate views” of Canadians on the matter, likely referring to public outcry that included two petitions calling on the Chagall painting, one of two by the late Russian-French painter, to remain in the gallery’s collection.
Since then, questions have remained, some having to do with the interests of Christie’s, the auction house, which could stand to collect a potentially seven-figure cancellation fee from the gallery.
Despite the board’s letter, the Chagall painting has remained listed this week at christies.com as a highlight of the May 15 auction. Christie’s this week has not responded to emails and phone messages regarding the painting.
Responding to an email sent this week to Mayer, Josée-Britanie Mallet, the gallery’s senior media and public relations officer, replied that the gallery would not answer any questions relating to the terms of its contract with Christie’s or any associated negotiations. The contract contains confidential information that cannot be disclosed, she wrote.
Asked the whereabouts of the Chagall painting, when it is expected to return to Ottawa and whether the painting, which in recent years has sat in storage, will be exhibited upon its return, Mallet wrote: “We will answer your questions about the future of the Chagall painting once we have finalized plans and have new information to share.”
Neither Mayer nor Lyon would not give interviews about the Chagall painting “as there is no new information to communicate,” Mallet wrote.
Asked at the scrum how he was feeling following the board’s reversal of the Chagall sale, Mayer said that he felt “jetlagged.” He was reportedly in Europe for work last week.
Asked about the perception that he was withholding information rather than replying immediately to questions, Mayer responded: “That is exactly how I should do my job. I’m a professional and when I have the information to give you is when I will give it to you, and not before. That would be irresponsible.”
phum@postmedia.com
twitter.com/peterhum
查看原文...
“When we have a little bit more information, when we find out where we stand, which we don’t know today, then we’ll certainly answer your questions,” Mayer said at a brief scrum. Moments earlier, Mayer had made some opening remarks at a media preview for The Extended Moment: Fifty Years of Collecting Photographs, an exhibition that opens Thursday night at the gallery.
“So you don’t know where it (the Chagall painting) is?” a reporter asked.
“If I did, I would tell you. But we don’t know and we have nothing new to add,” Mayer responded. “When we have more to say, we’ll be happy to let you know.”
For much of last month, Mayer championed the sale of the Chagall painting at a mid-May auction at Christie’s in New York, for as much as an estimated $9 million US. The goal of the sale was to raise funds to purchase the painting Saint Jerome Hears the Trumpet of the Last Judgement by Jacques-Louis David, which is owned by the Notre-Dame-de-Québec parish corporation in Quebec City, and which Mayer said was at risk of leaving Canada if the parish corporation sold it to a foreign buyer.
MORE: Here’s what Chagall’s granddaughter had to say about the near-sale of La Tour Eiffel
It emerged in mid-April that two museums in Quebec were also interested in acquiring the David painting, collaborating with the National Gallery if need be. Then, Mayer dismissed a joint venture, which he said could have treated the David painting like the child of divorced parents, shuttling from one museum’s custody to another.
An open letter on April 23 from Mayer and Françoise Lyon, chair of the gallery’s board of trustees, softened the gallery’s position regarding the Quebec museums. The letter also said that the sale of the Chagall painting would proceed to “support the possible acquisition” of the David painting, and to bolster the gallery’s “ability to acquire major works of art.” But also on that day, Quebec’s Minister of Culture effectively blocked the National Gallery from acquiring the David painting by designating it part of Quebec’s heritage, and saying it would remain in that province.
Then, on April 26, another open letter from the gallery announced the board’s decision to call off the sale of the Chagall painting, since the David painting was no longer in danger of leaving Canada. That letter, which was unsigned, noted “the passionate views” of Canadians on the matter, likely referring to public outcry that included two petitions calling on the Chagall painting, one of two by the late Russian-French painter, to remain in the gallery’s collection.
Since then, questions have remained, some having to do with the interests of Christie’s, the auction house, which could stand to collect a potentially seven-figure cancellation fee from the gallery.
Despite the board’s letter, the Chagall painting has remained listed this week at christies.com as a highlight of the May 15 auction. Christie’s this week has not responded to emails and phone messages regarding the painting.
Responding to an email sent this week to Mayer, Josée-Britanie Mallet, the gallery’s senior media and public relations officer, replied that the gallery would not answer any questions relating to the terms of its contract with Christie’s or any associated negotiations. The contract contains confidential information that cannot be disclosed, she wrote.
Asked the whereabouts of the Chagall painting, when it is expected to return to Ottawa and whether the painting, which in recent years has sat in storage, will be exhibited upon its return, Mallet wrote: “We will answer your questions about the future of the Chagall painting once we have finalized plans and have new information to share.”
Neither Mayer nor Lyon would not give interviews about the Chagall painting “as there is no new information to communicate,” Mallet wrote.
Asked at the scrum how he was feeling following the board’s reversal of the Chagall sale, Mayer said that he felt “jetlagged.” He was reportedly in Europe for work last week.
Asked about the perception that he was withholding information rather than replying immediately to questions, Mayer responded: “That is exactly how I should do my job. I’m a professional and when I have the information to give you is when I will give it to you, and not before. That would be irresponsible.”
phum@postmedia.com
twitter.com/peterhum
查看原文...
