Marjorie Acker Phillips (October 25, 1894 – June 19, 1985) was an American

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...

painter and

art collector A private collection is a privately owned collection of works (usually artworks) or valuable items. In a museum or art gallery context, the term signifies that a certain work is not owned by that institution, but is on loan from an individua ...

. She co-founded the Phillips Collection with her husband, Duncan Phillips.

Early life and education

She was born Marjorie Acker in Bourbon, Indiana. She was the sister to six other siblings. Her parents were

Charles Ernest Acker Charles Ernest Acker (1868–1920) was an American electrical engineer and inventor of the "Acker Process" for manufacturing sodium hydroxide by electrolysis of molten salt, for which he was awarded the Franklin Institute's Elliott Cresson Medal i ...

and Alice Beal. She was raised in Ossining, New York. Phillips started drawing as a child. Her uncles were

Reynolds Beal Reynolds Beal (October 11, 1866 – December 18, 1951) was an American Impressionist and Modernist artist. Early life and career The elder brother of painter Gifford Beal, Reynolds was born in New York City. He and his brother Gifford spent thei ...

and Gifford Beal. Both men noticed Phillips artistic ability and suggested she pursue art as a career path. She began attending the

Art Students League The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may stud ...

in 1915 and graduated in 1918. She studied under Boardman Robinson.

Mid-life and career

''Marjorie Phillips has the unmistakable style of the born painter.'' - Duncan Phillips

Phillips is quoted as stating that she "didn't want to paint depressing pictures." She painted primarily landscapes and still life works. Despite living a

socialite A socialite is a person from a wealthy and (possibly) aristocratic background, who is prominent in high society. A socialite generally spends a significant amount of time attending various fashionable social gatherings, instead of having tradit ...

lifestyle alongside her husband, Phillips made the effort to paint every morning in her Washington, D.C. studio.

Fine art, family and the Phillips Collection

She attended an art exhibition for Duncan Phillips at the

Century Association The Century Association is a private social, arts, and dining club in New York City, founded in 1847. Its clubhouse is located at 7 West 43rd Street near Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It is primarily a club for men and women with distinctio ...

in January, 1921. She met Duncan, and the two married in October of that year. Duncan was an

, and the couple expanded their collecting. Phillips moved to

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and into Duncan's

Dupont Circle Dupont Circle (or DuPont Circle) is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The Dupont Circle neighborhood is bounded approximately by 16th Street NW to the east, 22nd Street NW ...

mansion. Duncan's mother also lived at the mansion. Phillips gave birth to her first child with Duncan, Mary Marjorie. While visiting

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

in 1923, Phillips became interested in

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...

. She found inspiration in the work of

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir (; 25 February 1841 – 3 December 1919) was a French artist who was a leading painter in the development of the Impressionist style. As a celebrator of beauty and especially feminine sensuality, it has been said that " ...

and

Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French artist and Post-Impressionist painter whose work laid the foundations of the transition from the 19th-century conception of artistic endeavour to a new and radically d ...

. She didn't only find inspiration in their work, but the couple began collecting their work. During that 1923 trip, they purchased Renoir's ''Luncheon of the Boating Party'' for $125,000. In 1924, their second and final child, Laughlin, is born. In 1930, the couple had collected so much artwork that they had to leave the mansion, with the art, and move into a nearby house in the Foxhall neighborhood. The house was named "Dunmarlin". The couple had a summer home in

Ebensburg, Pennsylvania Ebensburg is a borough and the county seat of Cambria County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Altoona and surrounded by Cambria Township. It is situated in the Allegheny Mountains at about above sea level. Ebensburg is ...

. It was called Ormsby Lodge and Carriage House. Duncan died in 1966. In total, the couple had collected over 2,500 works of art, many which were on display at the museum. After his death, Phillips, who served as Associate Director of the Phillips Collection, became Director. Her work was also part of the painting event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held dur ...

Later life and legacy

In 1971 she curated a retrospective about Paul Cézanne and published the book, ''Duncan Phillips and His Collection''. Phillips retired in 1972. Her son,

Laughlin Phillips Laughlin Phillips (October 20, 1924 – January 24, 2010), also known as Loc Phillips, was an American museum director from Washington, D.C. The son of wealthy art collectors, he managed The Phillips Collection, a museum founded by his paren ...

, became Director of the Phillips Collection. Phillips donated a piece of property in

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes th ...

to the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation in 1980. The property, which became a

nature conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

, was named Phillips Preserve. She died in 1985 of pulmonary failure. The Phillips family papers are held in the collection of the

Heinz History Center The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest history museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States. Named after U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III (1938–1991) from Pennsylvania, it is ...

. The

Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. Pronounced “winter-tour," Winterthur houses one of the richest collections of Americana in the United States. The museum and estate were the home o ...

has a holding of archival materials of Phillips'.

Major exhibitions

*Solo show, 1925, Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.

Major collections

*''Strawberry Picnic'', ca. 1924, Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. *''Bohemian Glass Vase'', 1939,

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 paintings and more than 450,000 works ...

, Boston, Massachusetts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Marjorie Acker 1894 births 1985 deaths Directors of museums in the United States Women museum directors American women painters Painters from Washington, D.C. 20th-century American painters Art Students League of New York alumni 20th-century American women artists People from Dupont Circle Olympic competitors in art competitions American art collectors Women art collectors 20th-century art collectors People from Marshall County, Indiana People from Ossining, New York Painters from Indiana Painters from New York City