Page 67 - Arts Management Magazine Future Issue

AMM SPOTLIGHT

Walter Maibaum

Salvador Dali told Maibaum,
“The only difference between me and the other Surrealists is, I am a Surrealist!”

Pinpointing the 50-year art world career of Walter Maibaum is not easy. MR: Why did the Succession Degas mandate that bronzes be
After begin-ning his profession in 1968 as a dealer in Old Master works cast from plasters?
on paper (Rembrandt, Dü-rer, etc.) he became director of an international WM: The Succession Degas had the responsibility to protect and
atelier and was actively sought as a lecturer on various art world subjects. He enhance the legacy of the artist. Casting allowed for the bronz-
also spoke and moderated panels for World Art Market Conferences and was es to be exhibited worldwide, so that the general public could
tapped by the federal government as an expert witness on art fraud. During view and enjoy them. Ten museums have now held exhibitions
this period he became a noted authority on sculpture. Willem de Kooning and of the bronzes cast from the plasters. They range from the Tel
Henry Moore were among the artists who consulted with him on casting ma- Aviv Museum of Art in Israel to the Hermitage Museum in St.
terials, techniques and foundry practices. His artist friends included Salvador Petersburg, Russia. More exhibitions are planned.
Dali, who once told Maibaum, “The only difference between me and the other
surrealists is, I am a Surrealist!” MR: Then if the Little Dancer plaster you found might be worth
twice as much as the bronze that sold for $25 million and if the
Continuing with this specialty today, he quietly maintains a private dealership other 73 plasters might each be worth an average of one million
in New York for select clients. While maintaining a low profile in that regard, or more, would it be fair to say that your discovery could easily be
he is widely known internationally for uncovering 74 previously unknown worth more than $100 million?
sculptures in plaster by the French Impressionist master, Edgar Degas (1843- WM: As the Chairman of one of the two major auction houses
1917). I interviewed Maibaum about this major discovery. once said, “Beauty is in the eye of the buyer!”

Michael Reiss: Tell me about the 74 plaster sculptures you found. MR: Since you are being coy about the values and not answering
When were the plasters made? the question directly I must ask, are the Degas plasters for sale, or
Walter Maibaum: Based on the physical and scientific evidence for that matter are the bronzes for sale?
along with a decade of research clearly points to the conclusion, WM: Let’s leave it at this. If someone has interest and wants to
the great majority of the plasters were made either during De- learn more about this subject please direct them to the website:
gas’ lifetime or shortly after he died in 1917. DegasSculptureProject.org
MR: So the plasters were hidden for decades. Where did you MR: How will history record the discovery of the plasters and
find them? the museum exhibitions of the bronzes?
WM: A storage in the Valsuani Foundry in Chevreuse, France, WM: No doubt the discovery of the plasters and the bronze ex-
about 30 miles outside of Paris. After many years of research and hibitions will be written about in his-tory books and museum cat-
gathering a body of evidence it led to my be-lief that the plas- alogues for decades to come. And keep in mind the exhibitions
ters were made from Degas’ original wax and clay sculptures. In will also continue worldwide, all of which will further enhance
2007 the research was provided to the living heirs of Edgar Degas, the international reputation and legacy of the great French Im-
known as the Succession Degas, they provided letters of authenti- pressionist master, Edgar Degas.
cation and then mandated that bronzes be cast from the plasters. For additional information go to www.DegasSculptureProject.org