First on MAN: The St. Louis Art Museum is planning to deaccession ten works through Christie’s. The works, by Matisse, Braque, Cassatt and others, carry a high-end estimate of $11.1 million. Its new Degas cost $10 million. SLAM director Brent Benjamin told MAN last week (and published Monday) that the museum was planning a deaccessioning. Today I received the details.
“One of the ways the Museum builds and continues to enhance the collection is through a thoughtful deaccessioning plan,” Benjamin said in a prepared statement. “Through this process, selected works are evaluated by experts who determine which works do not meet the standards of the collection, based primarily on quality. The funds realized are set aside specifically for the purchase of works of art.
“Works are selected based on their consideration as being minor, and/or never or infrequently exhibited works by artists for whom there are far greater representations in the collection.”
No word yet on what chunk of these expected funds go to the Degas and what chunk goes to future acquisitions. The details: