Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde

This book and the accompanying traveling exhibition survey the groundbreaking career of Berthe Weill (1865–1951), the first female modern art dealer. She championed many fledgling masters of modern art from early in their careers—including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Amedeo Modigliani—as well as numerous other talented artists. Examining Weill’s contributions to the history of modernism as a gallerist, a passionate advocate of contemporary art, and a Jewish woman, this book brings to light the remarkable achievements of a singular figure who overcame sexism and anti-Semitism in her quest to promote emerging artists.

Published by Flammarion, it illuminates the rich artistic period by spotlighting recently rediscovered artists and offering new insights into the era’s central figures. It includes an introductory essay by Le Morvan, a discussion of portraits of Weill by Grace, an essay on antisemitism in late 19th-century France by historian Charles Dellheim, an overview of collectors who frequented the Galerie B. Weill by researcher Robert McD. Parker, and entries on works by Eloy. It also features a chronology and selected bibliography. The publication is available for purchase in-person at the Grey Art Museum, NYU, and through our online bookstore.

The exhibition, co-organized by New York University’s Grey Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Musée de l’Orangerie, features some 110 artworks that were originally displayed at her gallery during the first four decades of the twentieth century.