Those passionate about Impressionist art know for sure something about the Marion and Henry Bloch Collection, one of the best of it's kind when it comes to Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early modern artists, such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and many others.
The story of this impressive collection begins in the mid-1970's, when Henry Bloch, the co-founder of H&R Block began buying Impressionist art, together with his wife, Marion, herself passionate about art. For the next decades, the two collectors managed to put together a lot of 30 masterpieces (15 oils, three pastels, one watercolor and one sculpture), choosing only what they truly liked and at the same time was trully great. Although the number of pieces might seem small, their quality is exceptional. The Bloch's didn't hesitate to ask for advice a large number of curators and experts, and it trully shows.
The exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is a first, for in presents the entire collection in a single place, a major event for art lovers.
2007-09-05
