Donna Stein, "The Empress and I: How an Ancient Empire Collected, Rejected and Rediscovered Modern Art" (Skira, 2020)

About this episode

The episode discusses Donna Stein's experiences as an art advisor to Empress Farah Diba Pahlavi and the development of the Iranian art market in the 1970s.

In the 1970s, American curator Donna Stein served as an art advisor to Empress Farah Diba Pahlavi, the Shahbanu of Iran. Together, Stein and Pahlavi generated an art market in Iran, as Stein encouraged Pahlavi’s patronage of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Today, the contemporary section of the Iranian National Collection―most of which continues to languish in storage―is considered one of the most significant collections of modern art outside of Europe and the United States. The Empress and I: How an Ancient Empire Collected, Rejected and Rediscovered Modern Art (Skira, 2020) is a vivid account of Stein’s experience working on this storied intercultural initiative. In crafting her highly readable narrative, Stein cites a number of previously confidential documents, including private correspondence with artists and dealers. This text explores the relationship between two women united by their shared passion for the arts and the continued legacy of their partnership in today’s art world. Kirstin L. Ellsworth holds a Ph.D. in the History of Art from Indiana University and is Associate Professor of Art History at California State University Dominguez Hills. Learn more about…

People in this episode

Host: Kirstin L. Ellsworth

Guest: Donna Stein

Topics covered

• art history
• Iranian art
• cultural exchange
• modern art
• women in art

Keywords

• Donna Stein
• Empress Farah Diba Pahlavi
• Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
• Iranian National Collection
• modern art
• art market
• cultural initiative

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, Iranian National Collection, Skira

Books & works: The Empress and I: How an Ancient Empire Collected, Rejected and Rediscovered Modern Art

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