Ileana Sonnabend facts for kids

Ileana Sonnabend (born Ileana Schapira, October 29, 1914 – October 21, 2007) was a very important art dealer. She was from Romania and later became an American citizen. Ileana Sonnabend helped many artists become famous. She showed their work to people all over the world.

Her art galleries, especially the Sonnabend Gallery, were very influential. They helped introduce American Pop Art to Europe. Later, her New York gallery helped make European art popular in America. This included styles like conceptual art. Her galleries also helped make the SoHo area of New York City a famous art center. Even after her death, the gallery continues to show amazing art.

Ileana Sonnabend's Early Life and Career

Ileana Sonnabend was born Ileana Schapira in Bucharest, Romania. Her father, Mihail Schapira, was a successful businessman. Her mother was Marianne Strate-Felber. Ileana later studied psychology at Columbia University.

In 1932, Ileana met Leo Castelli in Bucharest. They soon got married and had a daughter named Nina. During the 1940s, Ileana and Leo moved from Europe to New York City. Ileana's mother, Marianne, also moved to New York. She married a painter named John D. Graham. Graham became a mentor to Ileana and Leo. He introduced them to many famous artists in New York.

In 1950, Ileana and Leo organized an art show. It featured works by young American and European painters. These included artists like Jean Dubuffet and Mark Rothko. Ileana and Leo divorced in 1959. However, they remained good friends for the rest of their lives. After her divorce, Ileana married Michael Sonnabend. He was a scholar who studied the artist Michelangelo.

Opening the Sonnabend Gallery

In 1962, Ileana and Michael opened the Galerie Ileana Sonnabend in Paris, France. This gallery was very important. It introduced American Pop Art to Europe. Artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein became known there. This helped create a market for their art in Europe.

In 1968, the couple closed their Paris gallery. They moved back to New York City. In 1971, Ileana opened the Sonnabend Gallery in SoHo. This area quickly became a major art hub. The gallery opened with a special performance by the artists Gilbert & George.

Ileana Sonnabend showed many American artists. These included Jeff Koons and Vito Acconci. She also introduced European artists to American audiences. Some of these artists were Christo, Georg Baselitz, and Jannis Kounellis.

In 2000, the Sonnabend Gallery moved again. It moved from SoHo to the Chelsea district in New York. Ileana continued to work there with her adopted son, Antonio Homem.

Ileana Sonnabend's Art Collection

Ileana Sonnabend had an incredible art collection. After she passed away in 2007, her collection was valued at a very high amount. Her family decided to sell some of her art. They sold a large part of her collection privately. This means they sold it directly to buyers, not through public auctions. They did this because of the financial problems happening in 2008.

One group of art dealers bought many paintings and sculptures. These artworks were mostly from the 1960s. This group included famous pieces like Jeff Koons’s sculpture Rabbit. It also included Roy Lichtenstein’s cartoon painting Eddie Diptych. Other works were Cy Twombly’s Blue Room and Andy Warhol’s Silver Disaster.

Another part of her collection was sold to the Gagosian Gallery. These were paintings by Andy Warhol. They included Four Marilyns, two paintings of Elizabeth Taylor, and three small paintings from Warhol’s "Death and Disaster" series.

Ileana Sonnabend's impact on the art world was huge. In 2011, some of her personal collection was shown. This exhibition was called "Ileana Sonnabend: An Italian Portrait." It was held at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

In 2014, the Museum of Modern Art in New York honored her. They held an exhibition called Ileana Sonnabend: Ambassador for the New. This show featured works by about 40 artists. These included famous names like Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Andy Warhol. These exhibitions showed how important Ileana Sonnabend was to modern art.