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Description of  A Private Passion: 19Th-Century Paintings and Drawings from the Grenville L. Winthop Collection, Harvard University

Grenville L. Winthrop (1864-1943) was a lawyer and banker by profession, but his true passion was collecting art. He had the resources, the intuition and talented advisers to help him create a collection that is distinct not only in its depth and breadth, but also in its quality. The Winthrop Collection of French, British and American art includes the best group of Delacroix and Ingres drawings outside of France, the most significant group of pre-Raphaelite paintings outside of Britain, and a world-renowned collection of Sargent watercolours. Some 70 paintings and twice as many drawings and watercolours by more than 50 French, British and American artists are featured in this selection from the Winthrop Collection, bequeathed in 1943 to the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. Masterpieces by David, Ingres, Gericault, Chasseriau and Moreau will be seen alongside great works by Blake, Rossetti and Burne-Jones, as well as Homer, Sargent and Whistler. They are discussed in the catalogue by more than 60 authors, all of whom are authorities in their various fields.