By: Ruihao Rick Shan

John Wilmerding, an emeritus professor of art and archaeology, passed away on June 6th in New York City at the age of 86. He was also a renowned scholar, museum curator, collector, and author specializing in American art.

John Wilmerding was born on April 28th, 1938. His great-grandparents, Henry Osborne Havemeyer and Louisine Waldron Havemeyer, were notable collectors of European and Asian artwork which they donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His grandmother, Electra Havemayer Webb, was an American folk art collector and also the founder of the Shelburne Museum.

He originally planned to study American literature during his freshman year at Harvard, but took an introductory Art History class under a friend’s recommendation.

“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 set me on the track,” recalled Mr. Wilmerding.

Because of that first course, he changed his major to art history and became engrossed with American art. After writing his senior thesis about a marine painter named Fitz Henry Lane, he bought his first painting, “Stage Rocks and Western Shore of Gloucester Outer Harbor.” Soon after graduation, he acquired two other paintings, “Mississippi Boatman” by George Caleb Bingham and “Sunlight and Shadow: The Newbury Marshes” by Martin Johnson Heade.

He began his teaching career at Dartmouth College and later joined Princeton University as a member of the art and archaeology department. In 2004, John Wilmerding announced that his collection of 50 paintings would remain in the National Gallery of Art’s exhibit “American Masters From Bingham to Eakins: The John Wilmerding Collection”.

John Wilmerding’s legacy in American art is profound. As a scholar, curator, and collector, his contributions have enriched cultural heritage and art history. His generosity and dedication ensure his influence will be felt for generations.