Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
TheTribalArtWorldmournsthelossDr.WernerMuensterbergerwhodiedMarch62011athishomeinNewYorkCity.Hewasninety-sevenyearsold.Dr.MuensterbergerwasapsychoanalystarthistorianauthorexpertandcollectorofAfricanart.WernerwasborninWestfaliaonApril13th1913toawealthyfamily.HewasfirstexposedtoAfricanModernandChineseartbyBaronEduardvonderHeydttowhomhededicatedhis1955bookSculptureofPrimitiveMan.MuensterbergerwasexposedtogreatmodernandtribalartcollectorsandscholarsatayoungageandpurchasedhisfirstpieceofAfricanArtasateenageraYorubaBronzeHorseRiderfromAmsterdamsjodenmarket.HespentsummersinvonderHeydtsSwissMonteVeritretreatinAsconawhereherehebefriendedCharlesRattonthelegendaryParisiantribalartdealerwhoseParisgallerywasagatheringplacefortheSurrealistsandEckartvonSydowprofessorofPrimitiveKunstandapsychoanalystinBerlin.Duringthemid1930sMuensterbergerdiscoveredtheMuseumfurVolkerkundeinBerlinwhereheexaminedoutstandingpiecesoftribalart.DuringthattimehewasastudentattheBerlinPsychoanalyticInstitutewhilealsostudyingarthistory.HealsovisitedWestAfricaduringthistimeandhisloveforAfricanArtwidened.SydowconvincedhimtopursueethnologyandpsychoanalysisstudiesinBerlinbuthewasforcedtofleefromtheNazis.HecontinuedhisstudiesattheUniversityofLeydenandtheUniversityofBaselwritingadissertationonIndonesianmythologyandanotherinarthistoryontheinfluenceofItalianartontheSchoolofUtrechtpaintersduringthe17thcentury.DuringthewarinAmsterdamhespentmuchofthetimeinhidingatthehouseofhisthengirlfriendDutchactressElisabethAndersen..In1947MuensterbergeremigratedtotheUnitedStateswithlittlecashandtwoworksofart.OnepieceaBeninIvorythatfounditshomeintheMetropolitanMuseumofArt.HetookajobasaprofessorofethopsychiatryatColumbiaUniversityuntil1951andthentaughtthesamesubjectattheStateUniversityofNewYork.Heretiredin1974andmovedtoLondonwithhisthirdwife.Thenin1985hemovedbacktoNewYorkandopenedaprivatepractice.SomeofMuensterbergerspatientsincludedLaurenceOlivierJamesDeanandMarlonBrando.Hisnear-century-longlifeincludedexchangeswithpersonalitieslikeThomasMannMaryWigmanPabloPicassoSigmundFreudConstantinBrancusiWaltDisneyAlbertEinsteinandRobertRosenblum.His1994MuensterbergerwrotethebooktitledCollectinganUnrulyPassionwhichpsychoanalyzesartcollectorsandisastaplepublicationinanygreattribalartlibrary.Thebookexploreswhatmotivatescollectorsexploringdeepchildhoodexperienceswhichcontributetoneuroticbehaviorsuchasusingcollectingasacrutchtodealwithstressandanxiety.DuringthelastyearsofhislifeMuensterbergerwaswritingabookonthepsychologyofartforgerytobetitledForgersontheCouchinwhichhepsychoanalyzedhistoricalandmodernforgers.Mostforgershesaiddontjustcheattheoriginalartiststheyareforgingbutalsotheexperttheidealfatherfigure.DuringaninterviewbyGeorgeNelsonPrestonMuensterbergerwasaskedtogiveonereasonwhyhecollectedandhesimplyanswereddR.WeRNeRMUeNSTeRBeRGeRBydaviCassrainMEMORY