LOSS OF PRIVATE ART COLLECTION MOURNED AMONG ART CONNOISSEURS

THE DESTRUCTION IN A FIRE LAST MONTH OF ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE COLLECTIONS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND AFRICAN ART IN THE COUNTRY IS BEING MOURNED NOT ONLY BY ITS OWNER, BUT ALSO BY ITS OWNER, BUT ALSO IN MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES, PARTICULARLY AMONG ART CONNOISSEURS WHO RECOGNIZED THE IMMENSITY OF THE LOSS. GUTTED IN THE 29.JULY BLAZE, PEGGY COOPER CAFRITZ'S $5.2 MILLION MANSION IN THE KENT NEIGHBORHOOD OF NORTHWEST WASHINGTON DC HELD MORE THAN 300 SCULPTURES, PAINTINGS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND OTHER PIECES THAT SHE HAD PAINSTAKINGLY ACCUMULATED OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, OFTEN FROM THE ARTISTS WHOSE CAREERS SHE HAD PERSONALLY NURTURED. INCLUDED WERE WORKS OF 19th AND 20th CENTURY PAINTERS LIKE EDWARD MITCHELL BANNISTER, JACOB LAWRENCE AND ROMARE BEARDEN AS WELL AS CONTEMPORARY WORKS BY SUCH ARTISTS AS HANK WILLIS THOMAS, NICK CAVE, AND KARA WALKER. VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING WAS DESTROYED IN THE FIRE, WHICH CAFRITZ WAS AWAY ON HOLIDAY. JACK SHAINAN, A NEW YORK GALLERY OWNER, SAYS THAT THE BLAZE DESTROYED "A SINGULAR VISION". FOR NOW, CAFRITZ SAYS, SHE CANNOT BEAR TO THINK ABOUT STARTING OVER WITH HER COLLECTION. "I KNOW I WILL, BUT IT'S TOO SOON", SHE SAYS.