John Marshall Phillips (Q63974530)

Phillips returned to the United States and became Director of the Yale University Art Gallery in 1948. In addition to his duties as Director, he established a reputation as an expert in historic and early American silver. He published several books on the subject, including Early Connecticut Silver 1700-1830 (1935), Masterpieces of New England Silver 1650-1800 (1939), and American Silver (1949). (English)

Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program

1 reference

reference URL

https://www.monumentsmenfoundation.org/intl/fr/the-heroes/the-monuments-men/phillips-cpl.-john-marshall

quotation

Phillips enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1942 and began service with U.S. Army Counterintelligence in Boston. In 1944 he was transferred to the MFAA and assigned to SHAEF headquarters in London. Due to his extensive experience in intelligence, he was appointed to the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU) in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).Formed in 1944, the ALIU acted as the intelligence component to the MFAA. Its two-fold mission was to uncover information to be used in the restitution of looted art and to amass evidence for the prosecution of Nazi leaders at the postwar Nuremberg trails.While serving with the ALIU, Phillips traveled to the Netherlands to investigate art belonging to Dutch collectors that had been stolen by the Nazis. He later examined the collection of Nazi Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering, including his prized Vermeer, Christ with the Woman Taken in Adultery. But upon close inspection, Phillips became convinced the painting was a forgery. In time, he participated in the pre-trial interrogation of the painting’s true artist, the forger Hans van Meegeren.Phillips returned to the United States and became Director of the Yale University Art Gallery in 1948. In addition to his duties as Director, he established a reputation as an expert in historic and early American silver. He published several books on the subject, including Early Connecticut Silver 1700-1830 (1935), Masterpieces of New England Silver 1650-1800 (1939), and American Silver (1949). (English)

position held

museum director

1 reference

stated in

Dictionary of Art Historians

reference URL

http://arthistorians.info/phillipsj

retrieved

21 May 2019

quotation

Full Name: Phillips, John M.Other Names: John Marshall PhillipsYear Born: 1905Year Died: 1953Place Born: Kennett Square, PA, USAPlace Died: New York, NY, USAHome Country: USAOverview: Yale University Art Gallery director and silver objects expert. (English)