Butler acquires rare masterpiece

The artwork will be on display the day after Christmas.

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

vindicator entertainment writer

An early Christmas present

in the form of a painting by Jackson Pollock has arrived at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown.

The painting, “Silver and Black,” is valued at $2 million and was a gift from William and Linda Roemer of Pennsylvania. The Butler received it Wednesday.

“What a Christmas present,” said Lou Zona, director of the Butler, one of the nation’s foremost museums of American art.

“When you think of a great American art collection like [the Butler’s], not to have a Pollock is a gigantic hole.”

The 21-by-16-inch painting will go on display the day after Christmas.

Pollock (1912-1956), widely considered America’s most renowned 20th century artist, created “Silver and Black” in 1950 with oil and metallic paint.

“[Pollock] is arguably the most significant artist of the 20th century,” said Zona. “He represented an entire movement, known as abstract impressionism, which was America’s first international art movement.”

Pollock inspired many other mid-20th century artists.

“He represented what was great about American art and what differentiated it from European art,” Zona added.

Pollock was known for a physical and gestural style of painting in which he would drip paint from a variety of tools over a wall-sized canvas that was spread out on the floor.

His early works, however, were slightly more traditional. They were smaller and made use of shapes that resembled hieroglyphs.

The painting the Butler acquired is from a period during which Pollock transitioned between the two styles, and it has elements of both, Zona said.

Pollock likely painted the work at his home in Springs, N.Y., which is on eastern Long Island.

A troubled genius, Pollock was a heavy drinker and suffered depression. His work and painting style were often met with unsympathetic criticism when he was alive. In 1956, a few months before his death in an automobile crash on Long Island, the artist was dubbed “Jack the dripper” by Time magazine.

Zona said Pollock was poor and used any material that was available to him, creating a challenge to conservators who must keep it from deteriorating. Fortunately, “Silver and Black” was well-maintained and is in excellent condition, Zona added.

The painting was purchased in the 1950s at Sidney Janis Gallery in New York City for $3,000 by James and Helen Roemer, the parents of William Roemer. James Roemer, like his father, Henry, served as president of Sharon Steel.

The Roemers were likely the first owners of the painting, Zona said. Helen Roemer was interested in contemporary art and likely displayed “Silver and Black” in the family’s home in Warren.

The Roemers bequeathed the Pollock to William, with the suggestion that it one day be donated to the Butler museum.

William Roemer of Pennsylvania kept the painting for about seven years before donating it. “He called me up and said, ‘Now is the time,’” Zona said.

“I knew James [Roemer], and he was quite a guy,” Zona continued. “He would be so happy that the Butler has this rare work of art.”

dastolfo@vindy.com