George and Florence Blumenthal: a collecting partnership in The gilded cage, 1858-1941

This thesis demonstrates the importance of the collecting partnership of George and Florence Blumenthal while contributing to the growing body of knowledge on twentieth-century collecting in America. I argue that through their collaboration, the Blumenthals used their homes and collection to fulfill a public educational role. The method of investigation includes an in-depth biography of George and Florence Blumenthal, including family origins, Jewish identity, and philanthropic activities in order to illustrate how their different family backgrounds helped shape and influence their collecting and philanthropic partnership as a married couple. The thesis also examines the Blumenthal’s residences in New York and in France, including the architects, designers, and dealers involved, in order to argue Florence’s leadership role in their design and orchestration and the houses’ public function. Finally, the thesis will assess the Blumenthal’s legacy today and the bequest to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1941.