Harry Sperling Explained

Harry Sperling
Other Names:Harry G. Sperling
Nationality:American
Occupation:art dealer
Known For:art dealing, philanthropy and Radio Free Europe

Harry Sperling (1906–1971) was an OSS officer, an art dealer, a smuggler and the European Director of Information at Radio Free Europe, as well as a philanthropist.[1] Born into an art dealing dynasty, he owned and directed the Kleinberger Galleries.

Early life and education

Harry G. Spering was born in the art dealing dynasty associated with the F. Kleinberger Galleries Inc.. He graduated Columbia College in 1927.[2] His father Emil M. Sperling, died in 1930, and Harry became the President and owner.[3] [4]

Art dealer

Harry Sperling was the director of F. Kleinberger Galleries in New York.[5] His cousin, Allen Loebl directed a branch of the gallery in France and was involved in dealing in Nazi looted art.[6]

The OSS and WWII

Sperling was recruited into the OSS during World War II, and alternating intelligence work with art dealing.[7]

Radio Free Europe

During the Cold War, Sperling became the European Director of Information at Radio Free Europe in Munich.[8]

Smuggler for museums and claims for looted art

In his memoir, Artful Tom, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Thomas Hoving praised Harry Sperling as one of his "favorite dealer-smugglers"[9] recounting how Sperling got some 12th century heads out of France for him[10]

A drawing that Sperling donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art turned out to have been looted from the Jewish art collector Dr. Arthur Feldmann, who had been robbed and tortured by the Nazis and whose wife, Gisela, was murdered at Auschwitz.[11]

External links

F. Kleinberger Galleries Inc. Records

Notes and References

  1. News: 1971-11-20. HARRY G. SPERLING, AN ART DEALER, 65 (Published 1971). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-03-15. 0362-4331.
  2. News: 1971-11-20. HARRY G. SPERLING, AN ART DEALER, 65 (Published 1971). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-03-15. 0362-4331.
  3. Web site: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives Announces Online Access to F. Kleinberger Galleries Inc. Records Announcements. 2021-03-15. connect.archivists.org.
  4. News: 1930-04-12. EMIL M. SPERLING.; Vice President of Kleinberger Gal leries Dies Suddenly. (Published 1930). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-03-15. 0362-4331.
  5. Web site: Archives Directory for the History of Collecting. 2021-03-15. research.frick.org. en.
  6. Web site: Art Looting Intelligence Unit (ALIU) Reports 1945-1946 and ALIU Red Flag Names List and Index. 2021-03-15. www.lootedart.com. Loebl, Ali (Allen). Paris, rue des Pyramides/9 rue de l’Echelle/34 quai de Passy. Dealer, of Austro-Hungarian Jewish descent. Director and leading spirit of the firm Kleinberger & Co, ‘aryanised ‘ under the name of E Garin during the war. Centre of the informal art dealing syndicate comprising Wendland, Perdoux, Mandl, Boitel, Dequoy, Engel. Sold chiefly to Lohse, Hofer and Haberstock, for whom he travelled as agent in unoccupied France. Contact of Mohnen, Landry, Mestrallet. Indicted by the French Government (Seine Tribunal, Judge Frapier)..
  7. News: 1971-11-20. HARRY G. SPERLING, AN ART DEALER, 65 (Published 1971). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-03-15. 0362-4331.
  8. News: 1971-11-20. HARRY G. SPERLING, AN ART DEALER, 65 (Published 1971). en-US. The New York Times. 2021-03-15. 0362-4331.
  9. Web site: Thomas Hoving's Artful Tom: A Memoir, Chapter 24 - artnet Magazine. 2021-03-15. www.artnet.com. I hardly gave a thought to provenance or national laws against exportation. In fact I loved dealing with illicit works of art. Besides Harry Sperling another of my favorite dealer-smugglers was John J. Klejman..
  10. Web site: Thomas Hoving's Artful Tom: A Memoir, Chapter 23 - artnet Magazine. 2021-03-15. www.artnet.com. "How am I supposed to get these heavy things out of France?" Sperling complained. "I know I'm the guy who can get anything from anywhere to anywhere, but this is big.".
  11. Web site: Looted Drawing Returned to Heirs of Original Owner. https://web.archive.org/web/20120119064715/http://www.dfs.ny.gov/consumer/holocaust/hcpopr071030.htm. 2012-01-19. 2021-03-15.

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