Charles Ryskamp facts for kids

Charles Ryskamp (October 21, 1928 – March 26, 2010) was an important American art expert. He was known for leading famous art places and for collecting beautiful drawings and prints. Charles Ryskamp was born in either East Grand Rapids, Michigan or Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He worked as an art director and curator, which means he helped manage art museums and organize art shows. He was in charge of both the Frick Collection and the Pierpont Morgan Library. These are well-known places where people can see amazing art and old books. He also taught for many years at Princeton University.

What Charles Ryskamp Did

Charles Ryskamp was a very busy person in the art world. He had several important jobs that helped share art with many people.

Leading Art Museums

Charles Ryskamp was the head of two very famous art institutions:

• The Frick Collection: This is a museum in New York City. It has a wonderful collection of old master paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
• The Pierpont Morgan Library: Also in New York City, this place is a museum and research library. It holds rare books, manuscripts, drawings, and ancient artifacts.

As a leader, he helped these places grow and share their treasures with the public.

A Professor and Collector

Besides leading museums, Charles Ryskamp was also a professor at Princeton University. He taught students about art and its history.

He was also a passionate collector of art, especially drawings and prints. A "collector" is someone who gathers many artworks, often around a certain theme or time period. His collection was very special.

His Amazing Art Collection

Charles Ryskamp collected many different kinds of art. His collection included works from the Romantic period. This was a time in art (roughly 1780-1850) when artists focused on feelings, nature, and imagination. Some famous artists whose works he collected were J. M. W. Turner, William Blake, David Wilkie, and Caspar David Friedrich.

He also had one of the best private collections of drawings from the Danish Golden Age. This was a time of great art and culture in Denmark (roughly 1800-1850). Artists like Christen Købke and Johan Thomas Lundbye were part of this period. A "private collection" means the art belongs to an individual, not a museum.

Exhibitions and Recognition

Just before he passed away, some of his collection was shown in an exhibition. An "exhibition" is a public display of art. This show was called "Varieties of Romantic Experience: Drawings from the Collection of Charles Ryskamp." It was held at the Yale Center for British Art.

In 1995, Charles Ryskamp was chosen to be a member of the American Philosophical Society. This is a very old and respected group of smart people who work to advance knowledge in many fields.

His Legacy

Charles Ryskamp passed away on March 26, 2010, when he was 81 years old. After his death, his amazing art collection was sold. This sale happened at an "auction" held by Sotheby's in New York City. An auction is a public sale where items are sold to the highest bidder. The money from this sale mostly went to help Princeton University. The sale was part of "Old Masters week," which is a time when very old and important artworks are sold.