THE J. M. STRINGER GALLERY CELEBRATES THE BEAUTY OF 19TH AND EARLY 20TH CENTURY PAINTING THE FINE ART OF RUNNING A GALLERY
The J. M. Stringer Gallery celebrates the beauty of 19th and early 20th century painting. THE FINE ART OF RUNNING A GALLERY BY ANN TAYLOR Girls Playing on a Hillside, oil on canvas, 24" x 29", by American artist Lee Lufkin Kaula whose style is reminiscent of Mary Cassatt. Kaula is one of the artists featured at J.M. Stringer Gallery's exhibition of 19th and early 20th century antique paintings this month. 2 When John Stringer greets a visitor to his fine arts gallery it s as if he s inviting them into his home. Always the perfect host, Stringer delights in the opportunity to show people around the salon-like setting he designed. He points out paintings and sculptures he s particularly fond of and tells ministories about the artists, the time and place in which they lived, and how he came to acquire their work. Stringer
Edouard De Jans was well-known for his portraits, figures and genre scenes. The Belgium artist s Fortune Teller, oil on canvas, 45" x 86", came out of a castle in its original condition. Another De Jans masterpiece, The Doctor s Visit, oil on canvas, 44" x 53", was painted in 1881 and tells the story of a family s anxiety over their small son s illness. 3
DENISE RITCHIE 4 Three years ago John Stringer turned a former real estate office on Ocean Drive into a fine arts gallery, personally designing the salon-like setting. I wanted it to have a Florida twist but still be very elegant. When you have great works of art you have to present them in the best possible way, so I try to set the stage and lighting, says Stringer.
As the years went by, I began to develop a clear vision of how a gallery and private art consulting business of my own would look and what its focus would be, recalls Stringer. Belgium artist Frans Mortelmans is known for his paintings of flowers, landscapes and still life. Mortelmans, Strawberries, oil on canvas, 16" x 27", is rich in color and texture. takes great pride in the gallery s collection of original paintings, sculptures and selected objets d art, and it s easy to see why. His expertise and enthusiasm combined with the elegant ambiance he created add up to a refreshing and most enjoyable art experience, enhanced in part by Coco and Joey, one-year-old Yorkshire terriers, who relish their role as gallery mascots. As a student majoring in History and Theatre Arts at Monmouth University, and as a graduate student at Emerson College in Boston honing his stage directing skills, the idea that one day Stringer would own two galleries, one in Bernardsville, N. J., the other on Ocean Drive in Vero Beach, didn t factor into any of his future plans. I had a real passion for stage directing. In fact, I ve done a lot of regional theatre over the years, says Stringer, who grew up on Long Island and lived in Manhattan for a number of years. I started out in New York thinking my career would certainly be in the professional theatre, until fate stepped in. While working at a prestigious day job at Harry Winston Jewelers, I learned of a gentleman from a British auction house who was looking for an American apprentice to help with the North American market and to learn the business from the ground up. After many interviews, I was the chosen apprentice. I worked for that company for many years, and then ultimately transitioned into gallery work in Manhattan," explains Stringer. "As the years went by, I began to develop a clear vision of how a gallery and private art consulting business of my own would look and what its focus would be. 5
During the height of the Dutch Romantic movement, Jan Jacob Spohler s paintings captured the atmosphere of the season by including small groups of figures. A Summer Landscape, oil on canvas, 22" x 31", portrayed an insight into the life of the period. 6 Thanks to a growing number of clients and contacts made while with the British company, Stringer s New York consulting business became a reality in early 1990. Realizing that many of those who sought his expertise came from the affluent Bernardsville area, he decided to establish a presence there in 2001. It was originally designed to be a studio where I would work with clients, but within a few years the business had grown by leaps and bounds. It was like being shot out of a canon, says Stringer who had been joined by business partner Caesar Mistretta in what soon became known as one of the premier galleries in New Jersey. Six years ago Stringer decided to spend some time in Florida, and to this day thanks a good friend for telling him to make a stop in Vero Beach. She said there were so many people in the Bernardsville area that had homes here, and she thought it was a perfect fit for me. The friend was right. I came down for a long weekend. As I pulled up to the Vero Beach Hotel and Spa, I looked around and thought Wow, this place is wonderful, exclaims Stringer. I knew immediately it suited me. At the time I wasn t thinking of opening a gallery here. In fact, I really wasn t thinking of buying a home here either, but I did before I left. Three years later, Stringer was approached and asked if he might be interested in retail space on Ocean Drive. It had been a real estate office, and I could actually envision a gallery here. I asked myself, How can I create what I want out of this space, and how can I make it all work? I actually think a space tells you what its potential is, he says, recalling the thought process that led to the gallery s elegant and inviting salon setting featuring three intimate spaces. I just drew it out on paper and then consulted with one of my good friends who is a designer, and he was able to
SHANNON PADGETT Business partners Caesar Mistretta and John Stringer welcome Linda Little to their fine arts gallery during last year s opening reception. do an architectural rendering for me. I showed it to the builder and boom, it happened. This gallery is very different from the one in Bernardsville, as I wanted it to have a Florida twist but still be very elegant. The Balinese and Indonesian furnishings lend a touch of the exotic. I ve always believed that in life you need to be open to possibilities, and this gallery was meant to be. Designing three spaces that flow one into the other came naturally to Stringer, who credits his theatre work with the concept. When you have great works of art, you have to present them in the best possible way, so I try to set the stage and lighting. It s how you place art that takes it to a whole new level, says Stringer. I do the same for my clients. It s showing people how to live with art and a life of culture. If you love good music, travel, having friends over for a lovely meal, if you enjoy walking along the beach or on the Jungle Trail, you also should have art in your life. Stringer smiles as he adds, If you chose Vero Beach as your home, you already have an artful eye, you have picked a jeweled life. A close colleague of mine asked me, John, how did you find this place? It s magical. I told him there s Florida and there s Vero Beach. Once people get here, they see what I mean, he explains. That colleague is like a brother to me, and he s one of many who help me source great works of art. In this business, you have to have trusted people around you who share your point of view and ethics. The same thing holds true in all of Stringer s relationships. I always tell people what I try to do is create a family the artists, the people who work for me and my clients. I represent a whole host of American and European artists, and my mantra is I don t sell paintings, I help people build fine art collections. That can mean one or two pieces or a whole host of artwork, explains Stringer. I m not looking for someone to just buy something off the wall; I want to get to know them, and once they open up and communicate, I can really guide them and help them achieve their goals. All of the artists we represent have 7
Antonio Jacobsen s specialty was painting scenes of ships and marine subjects, such as Crossing the Ocean, oil on canvas, 22" x 35½". The Danish artist moved to New York in the early 1870s where he painted as many as 6,000 portraits of steamships that came into the NYC Harbor between 1876 to 1919. 8 solid resumes. We don t have anything in our collection that I wouldn t want in my own home. I tell people, young people especially, who say to me, I really don t know what kind of art I like, what my personal style is, to go to museums and get some perspective. What are you attracted to, where do you linger? Do you like the Frick Collection or MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)? Which artist really calls to you? Maybe you can t have a Mary Cassatt, for example, but you like her work. Perhaps there s another artist working in that genre that will suit you, says Stringer. In fact, we have a painting in our current exhibit by Lee Lufkin Kaula who went to Paris and studied there around the same time as Mary Cassatt. Her figures and style remind people of Cassatt. What I try to do is empower my client to trust their own instincts, he says. I can t pick a painting for them, but I can share the history about the artist and why I would chose it. But all of that is to give them background. I ask them, Are you going to love having that? If they say yes, then they get to be the caretaker of this great painting, or sculpture. That s the beautiful thing about what I do. Stringer frequently travels abroad to reconnect with contacts he s made over the years, as he searches for additions to his collection. I m always looking for new things and literally see thousands of paintings and sculptures, but I only select a handful. For me it s not about selling artwork, it s about helping my clients. Because of the relationships we ve formed, in most cases, I know what they like, says Stringer. For the past several weeks, Stringer has been preparing for this month s exhibition of exceptional 19th and early 20th century antique paintings. He can t hide the excitement he feels about the pieces that will be shown. There are going to be so many surprises, he enthuses. I can assure people who may have been here last year that they re going to see a host of new
British artist William Lee-Hankey s Les Arches, Dieppe, oil on canvas, 25" x 30", is representative of his award-winning work in collections around the world. things. There will be some great academic pieces by Edouard De Jans, a major Belgian artist. His painting, The Fortune Teller, came right out of a castle and it is in original condition; his Doctor s Visit is as well. Both were painted in the 1880s, and they re magnificent. I think paintings should have a passport as so many of them travel the world, coming from Europe to America and going back to Europe again, Stringer smiles while circling his pointer finger. These works of art give pleasure to people through the generations, and when you look upon it that way, this is an expression of how an artist gives so much joy to so many people. That s why I love what I do. ` J.M. STRINGER GALLERY S COLLECTION OF 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY ANTIQUE PAINTINGS ON EXHIBIT J.M. Stringer Gallery presents their expansive collection of 19th and early 20th century antique paintings with an opening reception on Thursday, March 13 from 4 to 8 p.m., and Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The collection, which includes exceptional pieces from European and American Masters, will be on view through April 5. Regular gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. For information call (772) 231-3900 or visit www.jmstringergallery.com. 9