Art for Love and Peace
‘The only subject matter in painting is light.’ — Gilles Genty
An avid art collector and a successful businessman, Oscar Ghez di Castlenuovo (1905–1998), had his heart filled with love and light. Overflowing, it spread out and touched hearts and souls of people around him. A man of action, passionate and social, Oscar had put his energy into developing a fine art collection that he shared with public in his ‘Petit Palais de Genève’ museum, Switzerland, as well as at external exhibitions in New York, Moscow, Tokyo and Tel Aviv. For he believed that it was important to put ‘art at the service of Peace’, as its universal language could be understood by all, regardless of the differences that exist between countries, cultures and languages.
Oscar’s art collection is housed in the Second Empire style mansion, built in 1862, in the art district of Geneva and consists of 5,000 pieces, focusing on the artists of Montmartre, Belle Époque, School of Paris and the painters of the periods between the two World Wars. This extensive collection opens the doors and offers us a glimpse into the time that is perceived as the one of joe de vivre, optimism, regional peace, economic prosperity and technological, scientific and cultural innovations of La Ville-Lumière — the City of Light — Paris, France.
‘He often used to gaze at the painting ‘The Ball on 14 July’ by Theophile Alexandre Steinlen which gave him particular pleasure.’ — Dr. Claude Ghez, the son of Oscar Ghez di Castelnuovo
The eyes through which we see Paris and its life of the time are the eyes of those artists whose work Oscar had chosen to purchase. Guided by his intuition, taste and vision, he had discovered those masters who were neglected by the public at large or ignored by the ‘official’ art history of the time.
Gustave Caillebotte (1848–1894), a French artist and patron of impressionists, painted realistic paintings with ‘cropping and zooming-in’ techniques, tilted ground and perspective effects found in photography of which he was interested. His large collection of impressionists that he had left in his will to the French government was refused by it twice.
Charles Angrand (1854–1926), who was renowned for his neo-impressionist paintings and drawings, was denied the entry to the École des Beaux-Arts. His implementation of pointillist technique and delicate handling of light and shadow were assessed by his neo-impressionist friend-artist, Signac, as ‘the most beautiful drawings, poems of light, of fine composition and execution.’
Having lived abroad and spent some years in a forced exile in the USA during the World War II, Oscar felt a special connection to émigré artists, living and creating away from their homes. Many he met in person in their studios in Paris — a Dutch-French Fauves painter, Kees Van Dongen (1877–1968), a Japanese-French painter and printmaker of beautiful women and cats, Tsuguharu Foujita (1886–1968), a Polish-French painter, known for his highly stylized, unsettling portraits, Moise Kisling (1891–1953). Empathetic to their living and working away from their own countries, Oscar even went to the point of acquiring the artists’ whole ateliers, wanting to own their entire output.
But as a rule, Oscar’s art purchasing decisions were influenced by two major considerations: the rather high prices of the great impressionists and already exalted artists of the 20th century, and his dislike of abstract art as he felt it represented modern life detached from a personal experience of reality. And so, among masterpieces by Manet, Renoir, Picasso, Shagall, the Museum of Petit Palais de Genève also exhibited works of artists whom Oscar believed were unjustly overlooked such as female painters. To him, this kind of inconsistency seemed injustice that he felt necessary to correct. Thus, anyone wishing to understand the history of women painters would benefit from studying the Oscar Ghez’s collection.
Suzanne Valadon (1865–1938), a self-taught French painter and artists’ model, who never confined within the tradition, frankly depicted nude women from the woman’s perspective. Her work is characterised by rich colours and bold, open brushstrokes. Detached from the trends of the academic art, subjects of her paintings reinvented the old masters’ themes: women bathing, reclining nudes, and interior scenes. She resists typical depictions of women via their class and supposed sexuality through her use of unidealized and self-possessed bodies that are not overly sexualized.
Marie Bracquemond (1840 –1916), one of the first French female impressionists, was under constant scrutiny and critics of her jealous husband-artist. In defence of the impressionist style to one of her husband’s attacks, she said: ‘impressionism has produced not only a new but a very useful way of looking at things. It is as though all at once a window opens and the sun and air enter your house in torrents.’ Although like many female artists at the time she was limited in her movements in the public sphere Marie nonetheless was one of the first impressionist who began to paint en plein air (outdoors), mostly in her own garden in Sevres.
The Oscar’s extensive art collection is also an invitation for us to reconsider certain categories of art history, in particular the conventionally accepted chronological periods, and the notion of decorative painting, which is admirably displayed in the work by the French cubist artist, Andre Lhote (1885–1965).
During the 30 years of the Petit Palais de Genève museum being opened, it was Oscar’s everything — his life and his passion which he generously shared with public. He took an enormous pleasure in meeting museum visitors and experienced joy spending time even with less cultured of them, happily striking up a conversation with them about the art on display.
‘Although he was not indifferent to the possibility that the works he had collected might increase in value, he was above all motivated by the enthusiasm he felt for his chosen artists. He never harboured any doubts about his choices — they were his passion. And so, he continued to acquire more beautiful works or to sell those that to him no longer seemed necessary.’ — Dr. Claude Ghez, the son of Oscar Ghez di Castelnuovo
To mark 25th anniversary of the United Nations, Oscar organised a special event celebrating the painters of the whole world. For the occasion he devised a notion: ‘Art at the service of Peace’, which became the underlying principle of his museum, his collection and his passion.
In recognition of his contribution to the arts, Oscar was made a Chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur in 1957 and a member of the Accademia Tiberina in Rome in 1976. In Italy, he was bestowed with the title of Commendatore della Republica, and in 1993 the City of Geneva, Switzerland, awarded him the highest distinction — the ‘Geneve reconnaissante’ medal.
On 20 February 1998, Oscar Ghez di Castlenuovo passed away, leaving his collection and the museum of Petit Palais de Genève to his son, Dr. Claude Ghez, a neurobiology scientist at the Columbia University in New York, the USA.
‘I confess that my father [before his death] was fairly upset that his son had decided not to share his impassioned life devoted to art, but to strike out on his own. Nonetheless, I am happy that the public was able to share the immense pleasure my father took in delving into all the artistic developments that took place in Paris at the dawn of the 20th century.’ — Dr. Claude Ghez, the son of Oscar Ghez di Castlenuovo
Currently, the Petit Palais de Genève Museum is closed for general public. However, inquiries of private visits for the research and educational purposes can be directed at Dr. Claude Ghez: cghez at me.com or his assistant, Marjorie Klein: marjorie.klein at yahoo.fr Enquiries also can be made by calling to +41 22 346 14 33
