James Whitney Fosburgh
| James Whitney Fosburgh | |
|---|---|
James Whitney Fosburgh (seated) at First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s tea for the Special Committee for White House Paintings
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| Born |
August 1, 1910 New York |
| Died | August 23, 1978 (aged 68) New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Yale University |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Benedict Cushing |
| Parent(s) | James B. A. Fosburgh Leila Whitney |
James Whitney Fosburgh (1910 – 1978) was an American painter, art collector, and art historian. In addition to lecturing and writing about art, he served as Chairman of the Special Committee for White House Paintings under both President Kennedy and President Johnson. Fosburgh and his wife, Mary ("Minnie") Cushing, were prominent art collectors in New York City.
James Whitney Fosburgh was born in New York to James Boies Alleyne Fosburgh (1879–1926) and Leila Whitney (d. 1913). After his mothers death in 1913, his father married his mother's younger sister, Eleanor Newton Whitney (1887–1930). His father, who was from Buffalo, New York, was also a Yale graduate.
He graduated from Yale University in 1933, and afterwards completed a Master's thesis on the journals of Thomas Sully, receiving his M.A. from Yale University in 1935. In 1955, he joined the governing board of the Yale Art Gallery, later the Yale University Art Gallery.
During World War II, Fosburgh enlisted as a glider pilot and served with the 101st Airborne Division.
He later returned to New York and worked at The Frick Collection, first as a docent, from October 1935-June 1938, and later as lecturer, from October 1947-May 1954. During this time, he began to exhibit his artwork throughout the city. In the 1950s and 1960s, he participated in group and solo shows at Durlacher Bros. Gallery, Kennedy Galleries, and Coe Kerr Galleries.
Throughout the Kennedy administration, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy endeavored to restore the interiors of the White House and bring back the original character of the space. Soon after her husband took office, Kennedy formed the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, naming Henry F. du Pont Chairman and serving herself as Honorary Chairman.
In November 1961, Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry F. du Pont established a Special Committee for White House Paintings, part of the Fine Arts Committee for the White House, and appointed Fosburgh head of the new group. Until that point, the expertise and interests of Fine Arts Committee members had been largely focused on antique furnishings, not pictures. Fosburgh's Committee was charged with expanding the White House collection of paintings, including portraits, landscapes, and still lifes, and replacing "certain non-historic paintings of past Presidents with those which were actually painted from life." Within two years, the Special Committee had acquired over 150 new works for the collection.
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