Artists Find Giving Away their Art (to Art Writers) a Good Career Move

Art critic and historian Irving Sandler doesn't just write about art, he has a collection of dozens of two- and three-dimensional works by noted artists of the postwar era. For instance, there is a large-scale Joan Mitchell painting in his living room that he has pledged to donate to the Brooklyn Museum upon his death. However, he said, "I'm not a collector," meaning that what he owns he didn't buy. These works were gifts from artists he reviewed favorably, a few were wedding gifts. The artists ...