Dr. Albert K. Chapman Impressionist Sale

Dr. Chapman was an astute collector who loved paintings. As President and CEO of Eastman Kodak USA in the 1960s, he was able to acquire fine paintings by major artists. Their condition is excellent, most have never been even cleaned, possibly reframed years ago but generally in good condition. Beginning in the 1940s, Dr. Chapman began purchasing paintings from Knoedler, Schweitzer, Saxe, Milch and other well known New York dealers. For most of the paintings, the invoices where he purchased the paintings still exist and will be included to the new owner. Dr. Chapman was an intensely private man who did not exhibit his paintings, he lived with them and enjoyed seeing them daily in his home. He and his wife entertained their friends privately without having papers in the cover new purchases or events. In 1970, he loaned a large Mary Cassatt to the Smithsonian for an exhibit of her work. As a result, it was listed in a catalogue raisonne by Adelyn Breeskin. Some 10 years later, Dr. Chapman received a letter asking if he had an interest in selling the painting and his response was "Living with it gives us too much pleasure to have it depart." He and his wife genuinely loved the paintings. In several letters to his two daughters, he told them that his paintings brought him almost as much pleasure as they had. We have photographs of many of the paintings in the rooms of his residence in Rochester, NY that will accompany the paintings to the successful bidder. Please contact us with any questions you may have about these paintings well before sale time. Larger more descriptive photos are on our website, please visit this site,and you will see signature shots, back images and labels from past exhibitions.