Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene receives mysterious statue as gift
Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene Artistic Director Kent Kimball on Monday shares history about a mysterious Beethoven bust that was donated to the conservatory by a Coeur d'Alene resident whose grandfather bought it an auction from a family that owned hundreds of houses and mansions on the East Coast during the height of its silk manufacturing empire. The bust is seen on the shelf over Kimball's left shoulder.
DEVIN WEEKS/Press
Kent Kimball on Monday holds a bust of Ludwig von Beethoven that was recently given as a gift to the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene. The alabaster statue is mysterious in who carved it and exactly how old it is, although could be about 224 years old.
A 2-foot-tall statue of famous German composer and musician Ludwig von Beethoven that was recently given to the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene is as mysterious as it is detailed. It is pictured on display Monday.
COEUR d'ALENE — The wild hair, famous scowl, furrowed brow and even slight creases in the vest into which the ruffled cravat is tucked are captured in an alabaster bust of Ludwig van Beethoven.
The 2-foot-tall statue that was recently given to the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene is as mysterious as it is detailed.
“We don’t yet know when it was actually carved,” Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene artistic director Kent Kimball said Monday. “They think it could be 150 years old, but it could also be 200 years old. It could also be 224 years old."
The bust of the famous German composer and pianist was a gift from Coeur d'Alene resident John Lloyd, who came into possession of the statue after his grandfather purchased it at an auction in 1937. Lloyd's grandfather initially planned to donate the bust to a new music museum the city of Riverside, Calif. was planning to build. The museum did not happen and the bust moved over time to Lloyd.
"I donated the alabaster bust of Beethoven to the conservatory to fulfill my grandfather's wish that it be placed where people could enjoy seeing it, instead of being in someone’s house," Lloyd said.
The statue originally belonged to the Cheney family, which made a fortune through its silk manufacturing empire in the 19th and 20th centuries.
“The Cheney family was this extremely wealthy Gilded Age family that owned textile mills up and down the East Coast, and a lot of them," Kimball said.
The family owned dozens of historic mansions, as well as 245 homes that provided mill-town housing for the Cheney Brothers Silk Company workforce.
"It was a great idea that caught on for like 100 years," Kimball said. "Big, big, big companies were doing that."
Kimball met Lloyd during Art on the Green when Lloyd approached the music conservatory's booth.
"He came out of nowhere and in one sentence piqued my interest: ‘Would you be interested in receiving a statue of Ludwig von Beethoven that’s 2 feet high and made out of alabaster?’ How do you answer a question like that? ‘Oh no, I’ve got people to talk to,’” he said with a laugh. “You go, ‘Hey, let’s talk, send me a picture.’ It was intriguing. Mystery and intrigue."
The very next day, Lloyd sent photos of the bust and historical information about the Cheney family, which most likely displayed the statue in one of its many old-money mansions.
Lloyd presented the bust to the conservatory Aug. 9. The statue has no artist initials or other indicators of who carved it, and certainly no "Made in China" stamps. No dust or grime has collected in its crevices, and it has not yellowed with age. The only writing is the word "Beethoven" in capital letters at the base above the pedestal.
“There’s no chips or slashes or damage on this thing,” he said. “It kind of gives me the impression that the people who owned it and displayed it treated it with some degree of reverence and appreciation.”
Kimball said he has no background in sculpting, but he appreciates a beautiful piece of art like this bust.
“It’s certainly in character with this beautiful building that we have, built in 1908,” he said.
Beethoven lived from 1770-1827 and is often artistically immortalized in his later years. This particular piece depicts a younger Beethoven, around 30 or 35 years old.
“He kept getting more scowly and more angry as he aged," Kimball said. “He was always angry and difficult. He was not a particularly warm and cordial person, and he’s not the only composer who was like that.”
The statue is in the process of being appraised by the famous New York-based Sotheby's auction house. Kimball said he and his conservatory colleagues have no clue about the bust's value.
“There are some great pieces of art that, frankly, aren’t worth that much,” Kimball said.
The Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene, 627 Government Way, is hosting the inaugural Friends of the Music Conservatory from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday to treat donors and supporters to an evening of music and refreshments as they learn about plans for the next phase of the conservatory.
Info: cdaconservatory.org
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This story has been updated to reflect John Lloyd is not a descendant of the Cheney family, but came into possession of the bust after his grandfather purchased it at an auction in 1937. Lloyd's grandfather initially planned to donate the bust to a new music museum the city of Riverside, Calif. was planning to build. The museum did not happen and the bust moved over time to Lloyd, who donated it to the music conservatory to fulfill his grandfather's wish that it be placed where people could enjoy seeing it, instead of being in someone’s house.
Kent Kimball on Monday holds a bust of Ludwig von Beethoven that was recently given as a gift to the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene. The alabaster statue is mysterious in who carved it and exactly how old it is, although could be about 224 years old.
A 2-foot-tall statue of famous German composer and musician Ludwig von Beethoven that was recently given to the Music Conservatory of Coeur d'Alene is as mysterious as it is detailed. It is pictured on display Monday.