February 21 in Art History
6 real events recorded on February 21, the earliest from 1815. 2 artists were born , 1 died on this date.
Born on this day 2
- 1815 Born
Born this day: Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier
Jean Louis Ernest Meissonier, born on February 21, 1815, was a renowned French academic painter and sculptor celebrated for his meticulously detailed depictions of Napoleon's military campaigns. His works, such as '1807, Friedland' and 'The Card Players', showcase his exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Meissonier's legacy lies in his contributions to the tradition of French academic painting, marked by his technical mastery and historical precision.
- 1837 Born
Born this day: Maria Bilders-van Bosse
Maria Bilders-van Bosse, born on February 21, 1837, was a Dutch painter known for her landscape works in an early Dutch-impressionist style, as seen in pieces like Avenue of Oaks in Late Summer. Her art continues to be appreciated for its unique blend of traditional and innovative elements.
She remains a notable figure in the development of Dutch impressionism.
Died on this day 1
- 1894 Died
Died this day: Gustave Caillebotte
Gustave Caillebotte, a French painter and patron of the Impressionists, died on this day in 1894. He was known for his realistic style and early interest in photography as an art form. His notable works, such as 'Skiffs' and 'Dahlias, Garden at Petit Gennevilliers', showcase his unique perspective.
Caillebotte's bequeathed collection of Impressionist works became the central collection of Impressionism for the French Republic.
Openings & foundings 1
- 1908 Founding
The Georgian Society is founded in Dublin
John Pentland Mahaffy, Walter G. Strickland, and Richard Orpen established The Georgian Society in Dublin on 21 February 1908 to record and promote Ireland's eighteenth-century domestic architecture and design. The organization treated Georgian houses, interiors, craftsmanship, and urban fabric as subjects worthy of systematic documentation at a moment when many such buildings were socially unfashionable or vulnerable. Its annual Georgian Society Records, issued between 1909 and 1913, combined photographs, measured details, and historical commentary, becoming an early model for architectural preservation publishing in Ireland. Although the original society was short-lived, its work helped shape later conservation efforts and inspired the Irish Georgian Society founded fifty years later.
It helped establish architectural conservation as a modern Irish cultural project.
Manifestos & publications 1
- 2022 Publication
France authorizes return of Nazi-looted works
On 21 February 2022, France's restitution law for certain cultural goods taken from victims of antisemitic persecution became the legal mechanism for returning works held in public collections, including Marc Chagall's Le Père. The painting had belonged to David Cender, who acquired it in 1928 and lost his possessions after being forced into the Łódź ghetto in 1940. Because works in French public collections are generally inalienable, restitution required a special law rather than a normal administrative transfer. Museum and restitution sources document that the bill concerned Le Père and fourteen other works, with the National Assembly and Senate votes preceding the February 21 law date.
The case created a visible precedent for legislating restitution from French national collections.
Henri Matisse , Maurice Utrillo , Gustav Klimt , Marc Chagall Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme, 3rd arrondissement of Paris
Auctions, prizes & heists 1
- 2016 Auction
Richard Prince sets a LAMA price record
At Los Angeles Modern Auctions' Modern Art & Design Auction on February 21, 2016, a painting by Richard Prince realized $1.58 million. The result surpassed LAMA's previous high, a Ruth Asawa commission sold in 2014, and marked the highest price paid in the auction house's history at that time. The sale matters less as a global Prince record than as a marker of the maturing West Coast market for postwar and contemporary art, design, and California-linked collecting. LAMA had built its identity around modern design and regional art markets, and this result showed how boutique auction houses could compete for high-value contemporary lots.
The result strengthened LAMA's standing as a serious modern and contemporary art auction venue.