Section 13 - Index

Lessons from the Denney Collection : Section 14

Appendix - A Brief Background on Modern Art in Toulouse

The Old Abattoirs, site of the new Museum of Modern Art

LINK : TOULOUSE Museum of Modern Art

In spite of a rich cultural and artistic life, Toulouse has missed several opportunities to this century to acquire important modern works of art.

1901 the City turned down an offer of a large number of works from the studio of Toulouse Lautrec, which as a result went to the city of Albi.
1966 on the occasion of an exhibition at the Musée des Augustins, the City had an opportunity of acquiring a collection of sixty works by Jasper Johns, Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein, Sam Francis, Cy Twombly, Ellsworth Kelly, Rosenquist, Wesselman etc. for an average price of 3000 francs a piece They only bought three of the smallest and weakest.
1985 the City set up a Museum and Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art in prefiguration to try to rectify past neglect.(55)

The new Museum of Modern Art - to be called the Espace d’Art Moderne et Contemporain - will eventually be housed in the old municipal abattoirs on the west bank of the River Garonne in an area scheduled for redevelopment. The development plan (56) for the new museum is bold and imaginative.

According to the Cultural Charter signed by the Minister of Culture and the City of Toulouse on 24 February 1994 it is to be funded with a 40% subvention by the state at a total cost of 110 million Fr.

The "Donation Denney" appears to be considered the core to the collection and is the main justification for investment by the City, Region and State in the new museum.(57)

Denney Collection 70 pictures: 1950’s to mid 1960’s
Musée des Augustins 30 pictures: 1965-83
Midi Ecart 12 pictures: 1982-86
Musee d’art moderne 25 pictures: post 1980
FRAC (Regional) 438 pictures: Post 1984

The Denney collection represents 12% of the total number of pictures but much more than 12% of the total value. --- END ----

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Section 14 Appendix - References

55 Milhau, Dennis Misérablisme de l’art ou la rigeur de l’inertie Toulouse épicurienne, subtile et tolérante. Autrement Série France No 4, Toulouse page 148 and following. 1991.

56 Ligot, Jack. ESPACE D’ART MODERNE ET CONTEMPORAIN DE TOULOUSE ET MIDI-PYRENEES -ELEMENTS POUR UN PROGRAMME November 1992.

This lists the various collections that are to be brought together, including the Denney. It says at the end of page 2 end of paragraph 1

"The Denney Donation brings to the collection a group of 70 pieces".

Of these 70 pieces, 69 are listed as being in the Donation and a further picture, Burri’s Sacco IV, owned by Denney is mentioned elsewhere. The Museum now claims that only 52 of the 70 pictures are the subject of donation, of which 26 were gifted in 1993.

57 Ibid. The Ligot Report of Nov 1992 says that the collection comprises:

Denney Donation	69 items 1950’s and 1960’s
Musée des Augustins	30 items 1965-1983
Musée d’Art Moderne	25 items post 1980, including Burri's Sacco IV separated from the Denney collection in 1989 and offered to the Museum for FFr 2M in 1991 by an unknown collector, later indicated to be Mme Denney
Midi Ecart	12 items 1982-1986
FRAC (Regional Funds)	438 items post 1984

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Paper presented for discussion at the Institute of Art and Law Seminar on Art Loans and Exhibitions, at the Courtauld Institute, London, May 13 1996