Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who spent their life together and their not-banker-size salaries on collecting art
A wonderful story came onto my Twitter timeline this morning about Herb and Dorothy Vogel, who spent their life together and their not-banker-size salaries on collecting art:
Couple lives on $23k/year for 50 years in 450 sq ft NYC apartment. Collects 1,000 important works of art: bit.ly/13ab80k — Christopher Butler (@chrbutler) February 28, 2013
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It’s well worth a read, for it exemplifies the best aspects of the art world, which are not always so noticeable in the day-to-day business of champagne-sloshing private views, rigged auctions and raging egos at every turn.
These aspects are beautiful in their simplicity, and also surprising for their rarity: talking to artists, not dealers; not boasting about a substantial and important collection; art not as decorative pursuit but as vital activity (they forsook almost everything to buy art, even offering to cat-sit in lieu of payment).
Pictured above: Dorothy and Herb Vogel, art collectors
And in 1990, they gave their collection – 2,400 pieces all from their tiny apartment – to the National Gallery in Washington.
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It’s a reminder that art collecting can be a noble pursuit.
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