Bernard Berenson Biography

Bernard Berenson was an American art historian, considered to be an expert on Italian Renaissance paintings and drawings. He served as a consultant to the major American museums and collectors in the early 20th century and played a major role in establishing the market for paintings by the “Old Masters”. He was an influential scholar of Renaissance art and one of the significant collectors of art in the early 20th century. A brilliant man, he had received an excellent education in literature, languages, and the history of the Medieval and Renaissance periods which helped to shape his future career. Initially he sought to build a career in literary criticism and history though he eventually shifted his focus towards the visual arts. Combining his interests in literature and the arts, he began publishing many scholarly articles which helped to establish his reputation as a man of knowledge. His publications of Italian art made him very popular and he was often called to serve as a consultant to many major art collectors. His influence grew so much that his verdict of authenticity could greatly increase a painting’s value. He was undoubtedly the single-most influential art historian in the United States for most of the 20th century though his techniques were considered controversial by some of his contemporaries.