Ronni Baer

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Ronni Baer
Born1954 (age 7071)
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater New York University, Institute of Fine Arts
Occupation(s)Curator, art historian

Ronni Baer (born 1954) is an American art historian and curator, recognized for her expertise in European paintings, particularly from the Dutch Golden Age and the Spanish Golden Age. Over her career, she has curated numerous critically acclaimed exhibitions and contributed extensively to the scholarship of 17th-century European art through her publications, lectures, and collaborative projects. Her work has broadened understanding of how Boston art collectors have contributed to the city's culture, and continues to influence the field of art history. [1]

Contents

Career

Baer studied French literature at Emory University for her undergraduate and went to graduate school at New York University. She earned her PhD in art history, also from New York University, specializing in the pupil of Rembrandt named Gerrit Dou. [2] Baer has held numerous prominent curatorial positions throughout her career, such as at the Frick Collection in New York City and the High Museum in Atlanta.

Thereafter she was Senior Curator of European Paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and was in 2019, appointed curator and lecturer at the Princeton University Art Museum. [3] [4] [5] [6] During her time at Princeton she has made efforts to revisit the collections overlooked works, and in the process, discovered a painting now attributed to Peter Paul Rubens, titled Death of Adonis. [7]

James Steward, director of the Princeton University Art Museum, has referred to Baer, by stating she is: "intellectually lively, an inspired scholar and has spent her career in support of the power of the original work of art." [8]

In recognition of her significant contributions to the promotion and study of Dutch art, particularly the Dutch Old Masters, Ronni Baer was appointed as a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau on August 7, 2017. This honor also acknowledges her pivotal role in fostering artistic and inter-museum relations between the Netherlands and the United States. [9]

Major exhibitions

This exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, explored the relationship between art and social structure in 17th-century Dutch society. Baer received wide acclaim for its fresh perspective on the social stratification depicted in Dutch Golden Age painting. [10] Princess Beatrix, former Queen of the Netherlands, attended the opening. [11]

The showcased approximately sixty 17th-century Dutch paintings, illustrating various genres such as landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and genre scenes. This exhibition highlighted the rich tradition of Dutch art collecting in Boston, featuring works from both private and public collections, and underscored the enduring appeal of Dutch art in the American cultural landscape. [12]

Publications

Forthcoming

2022

2020

2015

2003

2002

2000

1999

References

  1. "Ronni Baer – CODART". CODART. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  2. "Newest Carlos curator Ronni Baer no stranger to Emory". Emory Report. Emory University. October 26, 1998. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  3. "Ronni Baer". Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  4. Armstrong, Annie (2019-02-19). "Ronni Baer Named Princeton University Art Museum's Distinguished Curator and Lecturer". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  5. Vanduffel, Dirk (2023-10-13). "The Princeton University Art Museum Has Reattributed a Painting to Rubens". ArtDependence. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  6. Brown, Lillian (2019-02-20). "MFA curator Ronni Baer heads to Princeton". Boston.com. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  7. Vanduffel, Dirk (2023-10-13). "The Princeton University Art Museum Reattributes a Painting to Rubens". ARTnews. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  8. "Ronni Baer Named Princeton University Art Museum's Distinguished Curator and Lecturer". Artforum. Artforum International Magazine. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  9. "Ronni Baer Awarded a Knighthood of the Order of Oranje-Nassau". Historians of Netherlandish Art. August 24, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  10. Mashberg, Tom (October 27, 2015). "Class Distinctions, a Boston Show, Highlights Social Divisions in 17th-Century Dutch Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  11. Khvan, Olga (2015-10-07). "Dutch Royalty—in Portraits and Real Life—Visits the MFA for 'Class Distinctions'". Boston Magazine. Retrieved 2025-01-01.
  12. "The poetry of everyday life: Dutch paintings in Boston collections". CODART. Retrieved 2025-01-01.