DOI issue:
Nr. 4
DOI article:Artykuły
DOI article:Niemira, Konrad: Dobry artysta i zły marszand, albo odwrotnie: O związkach Jana Lebensteina z nowojorską Galerie Chalette
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.71009#0812
796
Konrad Niemira
A Good Artist and a Bad Art Dealer, or Vice Versa.
On Jan Lebenstein 's Relations
with New York 's Galerie Chalette
The contacts that Jan Lebenstein had in 1959-74 with
the Galerie Chalette run by Artur and Madeleine
Lejwa are discussed. The reconstruction and inter-
pretation of those turbulent relations between Jan
Lebenstein and the gallery were conducted on the
grounds of the documents from the Gallery's archive
that are currently at the American Art Archives,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. The used
sources had previously remained unknown to Polish
researchers.
Jan Lebenstein may have met Artur Lejwa in the
spring and summer of 1959 during the trip of the
latter to Poland. The middleman in the meeting was
most likely Ryszard Stanisławski, who trough the
Office of Foreign Trade organized export of Polish
art to Western Europe and the United States. The
artist started constant cooperation with the Galerie
Chalet-ter only once he had migrated, namely when
ex-tremely successful following the Biennale of the
Young in Paris, he settled down in France. In
September 1961, the painter signed an exclusivity
contract with Lejwa for trading his art in the US.
This was the time when works on the artist's
monographic exhibition in the United States had
begun. The first problems in the cooperation arose
already in February 1962. The artist wanted then to
sell paintings bypassing the Gallery, this causing the
dealer's protest. The dispute also covered the range
of the activities of the dealer representing Leben-
stein in France, namely Jacquesa Lacloche. Despite
these difficulties, the opening of the artist's exhibi-
tion, planned for March 1962, was held at the
Gallery as scheduled, while the painter graced it with
his presence. Lebenstein's visit to the USA, meant
by Lejwa as help to the marketing activities he was
involved in, proved to be a failure. Lebenstein
apparently (as reported by Lejwa) showed up in
some company and having drunk, he behaved inap-
propriately. Upon the artist's return to Paris, the
cooperation became even harder. The dealer did not
inform the artist about the sales of his works, while
Lebenstein did not fulfill the Contract commitment
of supplying a definite number paintings. In July
1963, Lebenstein decided to breach his Contract
with the Gallery. For several months Lejwa ignored
the correspondence on the topic, that is why in 1965
the case ended up in court. For the next decade the
court failed to rule, while Lebenstein's career was in
stalemate. The conflict was resolved by the agree-
ment between the Parties only in 1974, already after
Lejwa's death.
Although the figure of the «bad art dealer» as
well as the aversion to laws ruling in the art market
were reiterated in Lebenstein's statements, these
have never before been confronted with the artist's
personal experience and the fact that the litigation
with his former representative went on for over a
decade. The purpose ofthe article, however, is not a
black-and-white accounting for Lebenstein's dislike
of American art dealers. A critical analysis of the
sources allow to find nuances in the dichotomy the
artist was building: good artist - bad art dealer. In the
course of the litigation Lejwa accused Lebenstein of
cheating the French government over taxes, of not
complying with the Contract as for the annual
number of works he was to supply to the Gallery,
and finally that any business cooperation with him
was difficult due to his alcoholism. However, other
Polish artists (e.g. Wojciech Fangor) cooperating
with Artur Lejwa highly appreciated the dealer's
professionalism and logistics skills, Lebenstein
being the only Pole in open conflict with the Galerie
Chalette's owner. The presentation of the course of
the events and arguments of both parties inevitably
questions Lebenstein's version of the story and
makes one perceive it as an attempt at a quasi-
romantic narrativzation ofhistory.
Translated by Magdalena Iwińska
Konrad Niemira
A Good Artist and a Bad Art Dealer, or Vice Versa.
On Jan Lebenstein 's Relations
with New York 's Galerie Chalette
The contacts that Jan Lebenstein had in 1959-74 with
the Galerie Chalette run by Artur and Madeleine
Lejwa are discussed. The reconstruction and inter-
pretation of those turbulent relations between Jan
Lebenstein and the gallery were conducted on the
grounds of the documents from the Gallery's archive
that are currently at the American Art Archives,
Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC. The used
sources had previously remained unknown to Polish
researchers.
Jan Lebenstein may have met Artur Lejwa in the
spring and summer of 1959 during the trip of the
latter to Poland. The middleman in the meeting was
most likely Ryszard Stanisławski, who trough the
Office of Foreign Trade organized export of Polish
art to Western Europe and the United States. The
artist started constant cooperation with the Galerie
Chalet-ter only once he had migrated, namely when
ex-tremely successful following the Biennale of the
Young in Paris, he settled down in France. In
September 1961, the painter signed an exclusivity
contract with Lejwa for trading his art in the US.
This was the time when works on the artist's
monographic exhibition in the United States had
begun. The first problems in the cooperation arose
already in February 1962. The artist wanted then to
sell paintings bypassing the Gallery, this causing the
dealer's protest. The dispute also covered the range
of the activities of the dealer representing Leben-
stein in France, namely Jacquesa Lacloche. Despite
these difficulties, the opening of the artist's exhibi-
tion, planned for March 1962, was held at the
Gallery as scheduled, while the painter graced it with
his presence. Lebenstein's visit to the USA, meant
by Lejwa as help to the marketing activities he was
involved in, proved to be a failure. Lebenstein
apparently (as reported by Lejwa) showed up in
some company and having drunk, he behaved inap-
propriately. Upon the artist's return to Paris, the
cooperation became even harder. The dealer did not
inform the artist about the sales of his works, while
Lebenstein did not fulfill the Contract commitment
of supplying a definite number paintings. In July
1963, Lebenstein decided to breach his Contract
with the Gallery. For several months Lejwa ignored
the correspondence on the topic, that is why in 1965
the case ended up in court. For the next decade the
court failed to rule, while Lebenstein's career was in
stalemate. The conflict was resolved by the agree-
ment between the Parties only in 1974, already after
Lejwa's death.
Although the figure of the «bad art dealer» as
well as the aversion to laws ruling in the art market
were reiterated in Lebenstein's statements, these
have never before been confronted with the artist's
personal experience and the fact that the litigation
with his former representative went on for over a
decade. The purpose ofthe article, however, is not a
black-and-white accounting for Lebenstein's dislike
of American art dealers. A critical analysis of the
sources allow to find nuances in the dichotomy the
artist was building: good artist - bad art dealer. In the
course of the litigation Lejwa accused Lebenstein of
cheating the French government over taxes, of not
complying with the Contract as for the annual
number of works he was to supply to the Gallery,
and finally that any business cooperation with him
was difficult due to his alcoholism. However, other
Polish artists (e.g. Wojciech Fangor) cooperating
with Artur Lejwa highly appreciated the dealer's
professionalism and logistics skills, Lebenstein
being the only Pole in open conflict with the Galerie
Chalette's owner. The presentation of the course of
the events and arguments of both parties inevitably
questions Lebenstein's version of the story and
makes one perceive it as an attempt at a quasi-
romantic narrativzation ofhistory.
Translated by Magdalena Iwińska