William Acquavella

William “Bill” Acquavella
Born1937 or 1938 (age 86–87)[1]
NationalityAmerican
OccupationArt dealer
Known forAcquavella Galleries
Spouses
  • Hope Brown (m. 1966)
  • Donna Acquavella
Children3
Parents
Acquavella Galleries

William Raymond Acquavella (born 1937/38) is an American art dealer and gallerist, and the head of Acquavella Galleries.

Early life

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William Raymond Acquavella[2] is the son of Nicholas Acquavella, who founded Acquavella Galleries in 1921,[3][4] and Edythe Acquavella.[1] He was educated at Westminster School in Simsbury, Connecticut.[1]

Career

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In 1992, he became Lucian Freud's dealer, agreeing to settle Freud's £2.7 million in gambling debts.[5]

Acquavella negotiated the sale of a Picasso painting from Steve Wynn to Steve Cohen for $139 million, but it fell through when Wynn put his elbow through the painting.[4]

Forbes included Acquavella in their 2012 list of the top ten art dealers.[6]

Personal life

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Acquavella's own art collection is "dominated by Picasso, Matisse, and Miró",[3] as well as Bonnard and Léger.[4]

On May 21, 1966, in Shelburne, Vermont, Acquavella married Hope Brown, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Archibald M. Brown.[2] In 2000, their daughter Eleanor Hope Acquavella, then treasurer of Acquavella Galleries, married Morgan Andre Grace Dejoux.[7]

Before 1990, Acquavella married his second wife, Donna.[1] He has three children.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Self-Effacing William Acquavella, Who Struck Art's Biggest Deal". The New York Times. 10 May 1990. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Bridal Held for Hope Brown And William R. Acquavella". New York Times. May 22, 1966. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  3. ^ a b "William Acquavella on Lucian Freud's Legacy and the Painting He Never Sold to Mick Jagger". vogue.com. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b c "The Players' Club". townandcountrymag.com. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  5. ^ "A portrait of the artists as a pair of young wastrels - Standpoint". www.standpointmag.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  6. ^ Noer, Michael. "William Acquavella, 74 - pg.10". Forbes. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  7. ^ "WEDDINGS; Eleanor Acquavella, Morgan Dejoux". New York Times. September 10, 2000. Retrieved 23 May 2020.