Quick Pick — Berthe Weill at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
“A trailblazing female art dealer”
Émilie Charmy, “Portrait de Berthe Weill,” 1910-1914 (photo courtesy of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Julie Ciot)
Described as “a trailblazing female art dealer,” Berthe Weill played a major role in the development of France’s avant-garde art scene in the first half of the 20th century. She was the first dealer to sell Pablo Picasso's paintings and the first to exhibit Henri Matisse’s work, and she was one of the first supporters of female artists of the time, including Suzanne Valadon, Jacqueline Marval and Emilie Charmy.
“She was also the only dealer to organize a solo show for Amedeo Modigliani during his lifetime,” according to the news release. “Passionate, outspoken and visionary, Weill unwaveringly supported fledgling artists, many of whom went on to become icons of Modernism.”
A new exhibition, Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde is on now through Sept. 7, 2025 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It features more than 100 works and archival documents, including paintings and sculptures by major artists of the time including Valadon and Picasso.
Weill had to close her gallery in Paris in 1941, due to the Second World War and rising antisemitism in the country. She died in 1951 and has been largely forgotten about, but this show is helping to shine a light on someone whose legacy deserves to be remembered. ■
Berthe Weill, Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-garde is on now through Sept. 7, 2025 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
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