'Just nonsense'

February 13 2013

Image of 'Just nonsense'

Picture: Tate

Martin Bailey in The Art Newspaper has an interesting story about the Tate's acquisition of Roy Lichtenstein's Whaam! in 1966. The picture had been offered to Tate for £4,665, but there was;

[...] opposition from three key trustees: the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, the painter Andrew Forge and the critic Herbert Read. Writing to Hepworth, Read described Whaam! as “just nonsense”. However, other trustees were keener, and after negotiations, Sonnabend offered to reduce its price to £3,940.

More details here.