By: Jerry Zhang

On June 6, 2024, John Wilmerding, an American art collector, curator, and professor, passed away in Manhattan at the age of 86 due to heart failure. Throughout his life, Mr. Wilmerding has played a significant role in placing American art at the forefront of the art world. He gave artists such as Fitz Henry Lane, Winslow Homer, and Thomas Eakins their international renown.

“It is easy enough to claim that someone’s contributions are incomparable, but in John’s case, it is true,” remarked James Steward, Director of the Princeton University Art Museum.

In the latter half of the 20th century, American art struggled to compete with European or Asian art. “American art just didn’t hold the same sort of attention and respect that European art did,” said Justin Wolff, chairman of the art history department at the University of Maine. “It was behind culturally. It didn’t really have an identity.” Mr. Wilmerding, however, changed that through numerous donations of works by American painters to the National Gallery of Art and the publishing of over 20 books focusing on American art.

Born on April 28, 1938, as John Currie Wilmerding Jr., he was a descendant of several influential figures in the art world. His great-grandparents, Henry Osborne Havemeyer and Louisine Waldron Havemeyer, were prominent art collectors and made significant contributions to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Additionally, his grandmother, Electra Havemeyer Webb, founded the Shelburne Museum, which is home to unique pieces of American art.

Mr. Wilmerding’s original trajectory may not have been art. Initially, he intended to study American literature at Harvard. However, a recommendation from a friend sent him to an introductory art history class nicknamed, “Darkness at Noon.”

“When the lights went out, there was this world of visual images that struck a nerve with me instantly, and the realization early on that you could look at facades or a ground plan — it didn’t matter from where or when — and suddenly a whole culture came to life. That was the experience that put me on the track,” recalled Mr. Wilmerding.

After graduation, Mr. Wilmerding worked as a Dartmouth College professor before becoming a curator at the National Gallery of Art. As curator, he presented some of the most important exhibitions such as “American Light: The Luminist Movement, 1850-1875”. Then in 1988, he returned to being a professor, but now at Princeton University.

John Wilmerding’s unwavering dedication to American art has had a profound impact on the art world. Not only has he changed the perspective on American art, but he has also highlighted the works of artists who did not receive the respect they deserved during their time. Through his efforts, people around the world have been exposed to new ideas and new styles of art. His legacy endures through the countless exhibitions, publications, and students he inspired throughout his life.