PXL_20240920_174354278.MP

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 14:03:03 -0500

Our destination was the Whitney Museum, at the south end of the Highline, in the now fashionable Meatpacking District. The museum was founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney after the Metropolitan refused her donation of her own sculptures because it preferred European artists. Her family wealth and art interests enabled sojourns in Paris and Greenwich Village and, after her death, the construction of a Breuer building on Madison Avenue, now Sotheby's headquarters. Despite her privileges, she suffered discrimination against female artists and criticism for distorting the art markets. The current building is a delight, with views of the city and the distant Jersey shore.