Robert Hartshorne, d. 1927
Nationality: American?
Date of Birth:
Identity:
Robert Hartshorne was a New York collector.
Life:
Hartshorne came from a prominent New Jersey family. As a collector he specialised in prints, particulary, but not exclusively, contemporary ones, owning prints by Callot, Goya, Ingres, Renoir, Cassatt and Whistler. He formed a high quality collection with many rare states, informed and advised by E. G. Kennedy. Some of his prints bore impressive provenances, coming from the collections of Alfred Beurdeley, Durand-Ruel, Roger Marx and Degas. His Whistler etchings included a number from Venice (K1890101, K1920330, K2020705, K2050103, K2100804) and some late French and Belgian etchings (K3550109, K3620113, K3950104). In 1920 loans from his print collection were made to an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A member of the Alumni Committee of New Haven University library, he also collected book first editions. His library was sold by his son, Richard Hartshorne, on 29-30 October 1945 through Parke-Bernet of New York. A significant part of the rest of his collection was sold through Parke-Bernet on 23 January 1946; there were 39 Whistler etchings listed. An important sale of over 70 Mary Cassatt prints and drawings that had passed to his descendants was held at Christie's in New York on 30-31 October 2007.
Bibliography:
New York Times, 8 May 1920, p. 14; 'Report of the Librarian of Yale University 1924-1925', Bulletin of Yale University, New Haven, 22 series, no. 2, October 1925; Lugt, Frits, Les marques de collections de dessins et d'estampes: marques estampillèes et écrites de collections particulières et publiques; marques de marchands, de monteurs et d'imprimeurs; etc..., supplement, La Haye, 1956 (2215b); Mary Cassatt Collection: Prints and Drawings from the Descendants of Robert Hartshorne, sale cat., Christie's, New York, 2007.