Margaret Garcia, Fire From Within, 2017. Cheech Marin collection
A Getty-led coalition of Los Angeles art institutions and philanthropists have organized a LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund for "providing emergency relief for artists and arts workers in all disciplines who have lost residences, studios, archives, artworks, or livelihoods." Affected artists and arts workers can apply for grants at the Center for Cultural Innovation site starting Monday Jan. 20.
Even if the Getty museums are fine, insurers are predicting extensive art loss. I’m very curious which, if any, masterpieces were lost. Imagine if David Geffen hadn’t sold. His former home burned down in the fires.
"One of the Most Impactful Art Losses Ever’: Insurers Start to Assess LA Wildfire Damage"
I am reminded how much world patrimony can be lost suddenly to fire. The most horrendous such loss that comes to mind is the complete destruction of the Royal Alcázar of Madrid on Christmas Eve, 1734. The fortress was located at the site of today's Royal Palace of Madrid. The structure was originally built in the second half of the ninth century by the Muslims, then extended and enlarged over the centuries. From the mid-16th century the fortress was converted into a royal palace. Vast art treasures were located there. Lost in the flames is what is known today as "the second Prado." Per Wiki: One of the major works lost was La Expulsión de los moriscos, by Diego Velázquez. This painting won a competition in 1627, the prize being the post of usher chamber. This was a decisive step in his career and allowed him to take his first trip to Italy. He also painted an equestrian portrait of King Philip IV (lost), as well as three of the four paintings from the mythological series (Apollo, Adonis & Venus, and Psyche & Cupid), of which only one was saved, Mercury & Argos. Several of the lost works were by Peter Paul Rubens. Among these was an equestrian portrait of Philip IV specially commissioned by the King, which had pride of place in the Room of Mirrors. As well as these works, losses included works by artists such as (according to the inventories) Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Jusepe de Ribera, Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Alonso Sánchez Coello, Anthony van Dyck, El Greco, Annibale Carracci, Leonardo da Vinci, Guido Reni, Raphael, Jacopo Bassano, Correggio, and many others.
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"One of the Most Impactful Art Losses Ever’: Insurers Start to Assess LA Wildfire Damage"
https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/greater-los-angeles-wildfires-insurance-art-loss-1234729986/
The most horrendous such loss that comes to mind is the complete destruction of the Royal Alcázar of Madrid on Christmas Eve, 1734.
The fortress was located at the site of today's Royal Palace of Madrid.
The structure was originally built in the second half of the ninth century by the Muslims, then extended and enlarged over the centuries. From the mid-16th century the fortress was converted into a royal palace.
Vast art treasures were located there. Lost in the flames is what is known today as "the second Prado."
Per Wiki: One of the major works lost was La Expulsión de los moriscos, by Diego Velázquez. This painting won a competition in 1627, the prize being the post of usher chamber. This was a decisive step in his career and allowed him to take his first trip to Italy. He also painted an equestrian portrait of King Philip IV (lost), as well as three of the four paintings from the mythological series (Apollo, Adonis & Venus, and Psyche & Cupid), of which only one was saved, Mercury & Argos.
Several of the lost works were by Peter Paul Rubens. Among these was an equestrian portrait of Philip IV specially commissioned by the King, which had pride of place in the Room of Mirrors.
As well as these works, losses included works by artists such as (according to the inventories) Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Jusepe de Ribera, Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Alonso Sánchez Coello, Anthony van Dyck, El Greco, Annibale Carracci, Leonardo da Vinci, Guido Reni, Raphael, Jacopo Bassano, Correggio, and many others.