André Emmerich facts for kids

André Emmerich (born October 11, 1924 – died September 25, 2007) was an American art dealer. He was born in Germany. He was known for showing art from the color field style and ancient pre-Columbian art. He also worked with famous artists like David Hockney.

Early Life and Education

André Emmerich was born in Frankfurt, Germany. His family had a history with art; his grandfather was an art dealer who collected art for J. P. Morgan. When André was seven, his Jewish family had to leave Germany and moved to Amsterdam. In 1940, they moved to Queens, New York in the United States.

André went to Oberlin College and earned a degree in history in 1944. After college, he lived in Paris for ten years. There, he worked as a writer and editor for different magazines and newspapers.

Becoming an Art Dealer

A famous artist named Robert Motherwell helped André Emmerich meet a group of artists known as the New York Abstract Expressionists. These artists created art that showed feelings and ideas, not just real-life objects.

In the second half of the 1900s, André Emmerich opened his own art gallery in New York City. Later, he also had a gallery in Zürich, Switzerland.

His gallery showed many different kinds of art. This included Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art (art inspired by everyday things), and Realism (art that looks like real life).

André Emmerich was also very interested in pre-Columbian art. This is art made by people in the Americas before Christopher Columbus arrived. He held important shows of this art. He also wrote two popular books about it: "Art Before Columbus" (1963) and "Sweat of the Sun and Tears of the Moon: Gold and Silver in Pre-Columbian Art" (1965).

The gallery worked with many well-known artists from around the world. Some of these artists were Hans Hofmann, Helen Frankenthaler, Kenneth Noland, Sam Francis, and Sir Anthony Caro.

In 1963, André Emmerich appeared on a TV game show called To Tell the Truth. He pretended to be a wine expert on the show.

The Sculpture Park

From 1982 to 1996, André Emmerich had a large sculpture park. It was called Top Gallant and was located in Pawling, New York. This park was on his country estate, which used to be a Quaker farm.

At Top Gallant, he showed big sculptures by artists like Alexander Calder, Beverly Pepper, and Keith Haring. The swimming pool at his cottage even had ocean waves painted on its walls by artist David Hockney! Many of the sculptures from the park later went to museums.

In 1996, a big auction house called Sotheby's bought the André Emmerich Gallery. They wanted to manage the art collections of artists who had passed away. However, the gallery closed in 1998.

Personal Life

André Emmerich had three children with his first wife, Constance Marantz. His sons are Adam Emmerich, Toby Emmerich (a producer), and Noah Emmerich (an actor).

André Emmerich passed away in Manhattan on September 25, 2007, at the age of 82. He died after having a stroke.

Legacy

André Emmerich's important papers and gallery records were given to the Archives of American Art. This happened between 1999 and 2002. More records were added by his wife Susanne and his former business partner, James Yohe, in later years. These papers help people learn about his life and work in the art world.