Allen Rosenbaum, former director of the Princeton University Art Museum, died on August 3 at Calvary Hospital in New York City. He was 88.
Rosenbaum began his career at Princeton in 1974 as assistant director of the art museum under Peter Bunnell and became director in 1980, serving until his retirement in 1999.
Current museum director James Steward reflected on Rosenbaum’s legacy: “For Allen, the work of art was always at the heart of the matter, and he left an enormous mark in how he built up the museum’s collections over 20 years as its director. From Northern European Mannerist painting to the arts of the ancient Americas, Allen helped assure that Princeton would have areas of strength that are among the finest in the country.”
Jill Guthrie, a former associate director at the museum who worked closely with Rosenbaum, highlighted his acquisitions: “He made important and ambitious purchases during his tenure, especially after the establishment of the Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund.” She noted Rosenbaum’s “curatorial flair” and ability to recognize quality works that might otherwise have been overlooked. Notable acquisitions included Giulio Cesare Procaccini’s “The Martyrdom of Saint Justina,” Pinturicchio’s “Saint Bartholomew,” and Pietro da Cortona’s “Saint Martina Refuses to Adore the Idols.” He also supported expanding collections in ancient pottery, sculpture, and textiles to support teaching at Princeton.
Steward said Rosenbaum had a significant impact on professionalizing and expanding both staff and facilities at the museum. During his tenure, he oversaw growth in staffing and budget as well as physical expansion with projects such as opening the Mitchell Wolfson Jr., Class of 1963 Wing in 1989. This addition provided new exhibition space along with conservation studios and storage.
Rosenbaum worked alongside faculty curators including Gillett Griffin and Wen Fong before expanding full-time curatorial positions within new departments.
Born January 28, 1937, in New York City to Harry and Ethel Rosenbaum, Allen earned degrees from Queens College (1958) and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts (1961). Before joining Princeton he held roles at institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and University of California-Irvine.
J. Patrice Marandel from Los Angeles County Museum of Art described Rosenbaum as having broad interests across Renaissance art to contemporary movements. Marandel said: “He was an indefatigable director. Even though the gravitas of academia remained part of his intellectual framework, Allen had always been more attracted to the tactile world of objects themselves, a taste that would naturally lead him to become one of the best museum directors in America.”
Mary Levkoff—a Princeton graduate who later directed museums—credited Rosenbaum for modernizing exhibition design by introducing rich color schemes into galleries: “At Princeton, he dramatically reinstalled the collection so that it was inviting and intriguing… He also had a genuine engagement with serious undergraduates as well as graduate students.”
Major exhibitions during his directorship included “Gates of Mystery: The Art of Holy Russia” (1992), “The Olmec World: Ritual and Rulership” (1995), co-curated with Gillett Griffin; and “In Celebration: Works of Art From the Collections of Princeton Alumni and Friends” (1997), which marked Princeton’s 250th anniversary. The New York Times praised this last exhibition for its selection quality: “Some art exhibitions have a story to tell; others have a point to make… The curatorial staff…and its director Allen Rosenbaum would appear to have very sharp eyes indeed.”
Caroline Harris—current head of education—said Rosenbaum made significant contributions toward integrating collections into university teaching: “I think of him often as I have immense pleasure teaching with many extraordinary objects that came into collections during his tenure… Allen used to say that he did not know anything about Pre-Columbian art but he knew good objects.”
Rosenbaum served on boards including those for Queens College’s Godwin-Ternbach Museum and committees such as Port Authority’s Art Advisory Committee.
After retiring back to Manhattan he remained active socially while collecting Japanese art—including Noh masks—and European sculpture. Steward remarked: “Allen’s curious eye never stopped roving… In his later years he became especially passionate about Japanese art… without ever losing his discernment.”
A memorial gathering is planned for fall in New York. Donations may be made in his honor to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières; American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
