The Solow painting Collection you can’t really see
I had a very strange experience tonight - perhaps the reality is more than what I experienced. Â
Is it OK to have a collection of art masterpieces that you let people glimpse from the lobby of a skyscraper you own, but not ever let people in to see the works directly?Â
I'm afraid it might be true.Â
One of the best Balthus paintings is in a corner of the lobby but no one is allowed to stand before it. Strange.
Here's the closest I'm told (by guards in the lobby of the skyscraper - I was trying to find out if they were pulling my leg, but it seemed like they were totally honest with me) you can get.
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We can't see what's on the other side of the wall...more art, a lot more.  There's scant information to be found on the internet - I found this about the building but little or nothing about how to view the art (maybe because you can't?).
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That Balthus paitning is called “Nu assoupi” or Sleeping Nude.
1980, 79″ x 59″- it’s huge
I have studied and studied that painting. One of my very favorite ones.
That’s as mysterious as Balthus himself…not being able to get up close to the
sleeping girl.
I would die to see that one in the flesh.
Thanks for the story! Interesting!
Frustrating!
Amy
By Amy Crehore on September 20th, 2006 at 3:18 pm
It’s so strange… I saw this painting exactly one year after Amy reported it… I passed by “Sleeping Nude” on Sep 20 7:20, 2007. I am a Bulthus lover- I wanted to visit him before he died . I went to Switzerland in 1997, I was so sad that I did not have time to stalk him
Every time I go to Met, I say hello to “Nude in front of Mantel” His paintings just fascinates me. Especially this piece, “Sleeping Nude” is one of my most favorite piece and I had to make a reproduction, I was totally shocked and I did not believe myself that it was in NY! It was so close to me! After I almost broke the window, I went inside of the bldg. and asked if I can have any info about that private collections. The security was so rude. I thought I can approach someone who own/manage/ that collection. If I can show my enthusiasm, they’ll understand! But it seems harder than I thought it was going to be. I want to get to closer to that painting. I want to see more. I have to find out more about that mysterious private collection. I want them to SHARE!!! I’ll research more about this. I think whoever runs that collection has to understant that someone in love of their properties. I hope we see that in person. Ciao!!! Love from Hiromi
By Hiromi Oikawa on September 23rd, 2007 at 2:32 am