Tuesday 19 February 2013

A story of love and art

Herbanddorothy.com/Fine Line Media Inc.

I stumbled across an article today about two people that I can't stop thinking about.

Meet Herb and Dorothy Vogel - a postal clerk and a librarian.

Never heard of them? Me neither, until I read Mental_Floss magazine's article - How a Working-Class Couple Amassed a Priceless Art Collection. 

Herb never earned more than $23,000 dollars a year. Dorothy didn't know anything about art before she met Herb. Herb's only knowledge of the art world was entirely self-taught.

But together, they managed to fill their one bedroom New York flat with beautiful things that they loved - and, in doing so, they also filled their apartment with a priceless art collection.

They missed out the middlemen - the art dealers - and dealt directly with the artists. They gave these artists a hand-up.

Herb and Dorothy did it entirely together. They learnt about collecting and the art world as a pair, working in unison to buy art at a price they could afford and spot up and coming trends.

And amazingly, they never did it to make any money - they just did it for a love of art, and a love of each other.

When Herb got too ill to enjoy collecting, they stopped. "I have no regrets," Dorothy said. "I've had a wonderful life. And I believe Herb and I were made to be together."

Together they amassed one of the most important art collections of the Twentieth Century, which was once squashed into their tiny home and now belongs to the public.

What an amazing story about passion, love, and appreciating beauty for beauty's sake. It's so good, and so poignant, I couldn't help but share.


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