Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, US-TX

Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
킴벨미술관

미국 텍사스주 포트워스시에 있는 사설미술관입니다.  

케이 킴벨과 벨마 킴벨(Kay and Velma Kimbell)이 소장하고 있던 작품들을 바탕으로 설립되었습니다. 

케이 킴벨은 70여개 기업을 보유한 포트워스시의 부유한 기업가였습니다. 그의 부인인 벨마 킴벨은 케이가 예술작품에 관심을 갖게 하죠.

1935년 킴벨 부부는 킴벨미술재단(Kimbell Art Foundation)을 설립하였고, 이를 모체로 1972년 미술관이 개관하게 됩니다.

킴벨미술재단은 LA카운티 미술관의 관장(director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art)이었던 브라운(Richard Fargo Brown)을 고용하여 미술관 신축을 추진하도록 합니다. 브라운은 미술관의 신축건물도 하나의 예술품이 되어야 한다는 생각을 가지고 프로젝트를 추진하죠.

1966년 루이스 칸(Louis I. Kahn)에게 설계 및 건축을 맡깁니다. 칸은 근대주의 건축의 2세대 기수로 알려져 있죠. 그는 자연광이 들어오는 전시공간에 내부에 전시된 미술작품들과도 잘 어울리는 미술관 건물을 건축합니다. 

미술관이 건축되기 전부터 초대 관장인 브리운이 내세운 것은 "최고의 탁월함(definitive excellence)"이었습니다. 미술관의 소장품은 오늘날에도 350여점에 불과합니다. 하지만, 한점 한점 모두 최고의 작품들이라고 할 수 있다고 합니다.

다양한 작품들 중에 유럽 소장품(European collection)이 눈에 띄며, 미켈란젤로가 그린 그림 중 처음으로 알려진 성 안토니오의 고통(The Torment of Saint Anthony)이 유명합니다. 미주 대륙에 있는 유일한 미켈란젤로의 작품이라고 합니다.

 

South wing of the Kimbell art museum, Fort Worth, Texas. This work is from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.

South wing of the Kimbell art museum, Fort Worth, Texas. This work is from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.

 

Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830), Portrait of Mary Anne Bloxam (later Mrs. Frederick H. Hemming), c. 1824-1825, oil on panel, 76.2 x 62.2 cm, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

Thomas Lawrence (1769–1830), Portrait of Mary Anne Bloxam (later Mrs. Frederick H. Hemming), c. 1824-1825, oil on panel, 76.2 x 62.2 cm, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

로렌스는 라페엘이 그린 베이커의 드로잉(Baker’s drawings by Raphael)들을 갖고 싶어했습니다. 로렌스는 헤밍(Hemming)에게 헤밍의 약혼녀 메리 앤 블록삼(Mary Anne Bloxam) 초상화를 그려주고, 대신 베이커의 드로잉을 받기로 했고, 그래서 그려진 그림이 바로 1824년에서 1825년 경에 그려진 메리 앤 블록삼의 초상화(Portrait of Mary Anne Bloxam)입니다.