Who is Barbra Streisand?
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand, born on April 24, 1942, is a renowned American singer and actress. Her career, spanning over six decades, has been a remarkable journey of success across various facets of the entertainment industry. She holds a unique distinction among artists, having received the prestigious Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards, collectively known as the EGOT.
Streisand embarked on her career by captivating audiences in nightclubs and on Broadway stages during the early 1960s. Her talent soon caught the attention of the entertainment world, leading to guest appearances on numerous television shows. She signed with Columbia Records, but on the condition that she would retain full artistic control, even accepting lower compensation in return. This arrangement persisted throughout her illustrious career. Streisand released her debut album, "The Barbra Streisand Album," in 1963, which went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Throughout her remarkable recording career, Streisand achieved 11 albums that reached the top of the US Billboard 200 chart, setting a record for a female artist until 2023. Some of her iconic albums include "People" (1964), "The Way We Were" (1974), "Guilty" (1980), and "The Broadway Album" (1985). She also secured five number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 with hits like "The Way We Were," "Evergreen," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)," and "Woman in Love."
In the late 1960s, Streisand expanded her career into the world of cinema. She achieved critical acclaim for her role in "Funny Girl" (1968), winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her cinematic success continued with movies like the extravagant musical "Hello, Dolly!" (1969), the screwball comedy "What's Up, Doc?" (1972), and the romantic drama "The Way We Were" (1973). Streisand received her second Academy Award for writing the love theme from "A Star Is Born" (1976), becoming the first woman to be honored as a composer.
In 1983, Streisand made history with the release of "Yentl," becoming the first woman to write, produce, direct, and star in a major studio film. The film earned an Oscar for Best Original Score and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Musical. Streisand also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, marking her as the first and, for 37 years, the only woman to win that award. She later directed "The Prince of Tides" (1991) and "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996).
With worldwide record sales exceeding 150 million, Streisand ranks as one of the best-selling recording artists in history. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recognizes her as the second highest-certified female artist in the United States, with 68.5 million certified album units. Billboard has acclaimed Streisand as the greatest solo artist on the Billboard 200 chart and the top Adult Contemporary female artist of all time.
Her extensive list of accolades includes two Academy Awards, 10 Grammy Awards (including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Grammy Legend Award), five Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and nine Golden Globes.
A Van Gogh for Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand was the buyer of Vincent van Gogh's "Peasant Woman with Child on her Lap" (1885), acquired through Christie's in New York on October 6, 2020, for a sum of $4,470,000. She revealed her acquisition to the New York Times magazine, expressing her intention to loan the artwork to an undisclosed museum. The final price surpassed the estimated range of $3.2 to $3.8 million.
The singer and actress, residing in California, boasts a longstanding history of art and design collecting, dating back to her acquisition of a Matisse piece in 1964. Streisand's diverse interests encompass American folk art, Art Nouveau, and Arts and Crafts design, with a profound admiration for Van Gogh's work.
What might come as a surprise is the previous owner of the painting, Bob Guccione, known for his involvement in the adult entertainment industry and as the founder of Penthouse magazine, a rival to Playboy. Guccione purchased the artwork around 1979, a choice that might be unexpected considering his background. One might have anticipated him to favor a voluptuous Renoir nude, but he instead opted for the austere portrayal of a peasant woman and her child by Van Gogh. Guccione, who was also an amateur artist, possessed a varied collection that included works by Pissarro, Monet, Picasso, and Modigliani.
Guccione's financial troubles escalated subsequently as Penthouse struggled to compete with the rise of the internet. In 2002, he made the decision to part ways with "Peasant Woman with Child on her Lap" and sold it at Sotheby's, where it fetched $834,500. Unfortunately, Guccione passed away in 2010. The Van Gogh painting found its way into the hands of a collector on the West Coast of the United States, who generously loaned it to the San Diego Museum of Art from 2018 until March of this year.
"Peasant Woman with Child on her Lap" was created between March and April of 1885, during Vincent Van Gogh's stay with his parents in the village of Nuenen, situated in the southern region of the Netherlands. During his time in Nuenen, the artist produced more than 30 portraits and figures of local peasants, with this particular artwork being the only one depicting a mother and child. These studies paved the way for one of his earliest masterpieces, "The Potato Eaters" (completed in April-May 1885 and now housed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam).
In this painting of the mother and child, the woman's figure, framed by her white bonnet, stands out prominently against a dark background, with only the backrest of a chair visible within the cottage. The identity of the woman remains shrouded in mystery, while the young boy, cradled protectively by his mother, wears traditional wooden clogs.
During the same October auction at Christie's, another Van Gogh watercolor titled "View of The Hague with Nieuwe Kerk" (March 1882) was also auctioned. This artwork, painted from a vantage point known as Little Marsh to the northwest of the city, depicts the towers of the New Church on the far left and the Great Church in the center, harmonized by the presence of two industrial chimneys emitting smoke on the right side.
We can provide further information about the ownership history of the watercolor, which has undergone frequent changes in recent years, in addition to what was stated in the Christie's catalog. In 2004, "View of The Hague with Nieuwe Kerk" changed hands from a Dutch owner to The Hague dealer Ivo Bouwman before finding its place in the collection of Sydney collector Eric Brecher. Six years later, a dealer in New Orleans, MS Rau, facilitated the sale of the painting to an owner in Alabama. It's worth noting that MS Rau repurchased the artwork three years later, subsequently selling it to a collector in Pennsylvania. In the October 2020 auction at Christie's, the Pennsylvania-based owner sold the piece for $1,050,000, surpassing the estimated range of $700,000 to $1 million.
Although Van Gogh watercolors are relatively rare at auctions, another notable sale took place earlier this month. "Laak Mill near The Hague," painted just four months after "View of The Hague with Nieuwe Kerk," was sold at Sotheby's in New York on December 8 for a remarkable sum of $2,500,500.
The donation of "Mrs. Cazalet and Children Edward and Victor" by John Singer Sargent
Oscar-winning actress Barbra Streisand made an exceptional art donation to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in 2015. She gifted "Mrs. Cazalet and Children Edward and Victor" by John Singer Sargent (1900-01).
While museum officials refrained from assigning a specific value to this masterpiece, it's worth noting that a related painting, "William Marshall Cazalet" (1902), was sold for $1.8 million at Christie's auction in New York in 2007. Sargent's auction record stands at $23.5 million, achieved by "Group with Parasols (A Siesta)" from 1905, sold at Sotheby's in New York in 2005. According to the artnet Price Database, a total of 17 of his paintings have exceeded the $2 million mark at auctions.
These two paintings were originally commissioned by an English family and would have graced the walls of the Cazalet's Fairlawne Estate in Kent, England. Notably, both children depicted in the LACMA canvas, likely sold with the family home in the 1970s, tragically lost their lives in combat during the First and Second World Wars.
The news of Streisand's generous donation, revealed by the Los Angeles Times, emerged through a Sony email leak. Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, is a member of LACMA's board of trustees. It's worth noting that Streisand herself was a member of LACMA's board of trustees from 2007 to 2014.
Streisand's donation held significant importance as the museum prepared for upcoming celebrations marking the fiftieth anniversary of its Wilshire Boulevard location, which opened its doors in 1965. The institution has been the recipient of several other substantial donations, including a notable contribution of $500 million from former Univision head Jerry Perenchio (as highlighted in "Billionaire Jerrold Perenchio Gifts $500 Million to LACMA") to support its expansion plans (as detailed in "LACMA Condo Tower Plan Angers Angelenos" and "LACMA Tweaks Expansion Plan to Make Space for Tar Pits").
In a newsletter emailed to Lynton on February 25, 2014, LACMA director Michael Govan expressed his gratitude, stating, "Before even beginning our campaign to secure art gifts for the anniversary, Barbra Streisand stepped forward with a significant promised gift. This extraordinary portrait will not only enrich our Sargent collection but will also substantially enhance our already impressive assortment of late 19th and early 20th-century American art."
Sargent's masterpiece will become part of LACMA's collection after the actress's passing. Streisand acquired the artwork in a private transaction with New York's Berry-Hill Galleries in 2002.
James Berry Hill, the gallery chairman, refrained from speculating on the current value of the painting. However, he did mention that he had recently received offers for several lesser-quality Sargent paintings, each "in excess of $20 million." Hill spoke highly of Streisand, with whom he has conducted numerous transactions involving Sargent's works, describing her as an extraordinary person and a savvy art collector.
In an email to the Los Angeles Times, the star of "Funny Girl" expressed, "It is a piece that requires ample space and a broader audience. It deserves to adorn the walls of a museum, and LACMA is the perfect solution."
Streisand's passion for art collecting was ignited in 1992 during President Bill Clinton's inauguration, which, as she told the Times, "inspired me and drew me to collecting 18th and 19th-century American furniture and art as a way to celebrate my love for this country." She recalled a time of unique optimism and her desire to grace her walls with works by artists that America had contributed to the world.
Selena Mattei
