Barney Ebsworth was a renowned American entrepreneur and art collector. He was an angel investor of Build-A-Bear Workshop and a leading figure in the travel industry. Born in 1937 in Missouri to a simple and modest family, he grew up preferring sports more than art. Ebsworth only became interested in art when he was stationed in France while serving in the U.S. Army. He toured around Paris and visited the Louvre out of curiosity. In awe of the art, Ebsworth spent his free time in local libraries studying the paintings he had seen the previous week and preparing for his next gallery or museum visit. He learned art history without formal education.
By the early 1970s, Ebsworth started collecting art. During a dinner in Rotterdam, he spoke of his interest in 17th-century Dutch paintings. The host invited him to his uncle’s space to view his private art collection. There, Ebsworth saw original artworks by Rembrandt and other famous Dutch artists. He quickly realized that building a collection on that level was beyond his reach.
Still determined and spirited, Ebsworth met up with Charles Buckley, director of St. Louis Art Museum, to talk about his plan of collecting art. Since Renaissance paintings were not available and Ebsworth still could not afford French Impressionism, Buckley suggested to explore American modern art. Ebsworth agreed and promised to only acquire museum-quality pieces. In just one and a half years, Ebsworth bought 12 paintings from established and up and coming artists. Among his prized collection was Edward Hopper’s Chop Suey (1929). As his businesses grew, so did his collection of modern artwork.
In 2007, Ebsworth pledged to donate 65 of his paintings to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). However, he later became elusive when asked about his promise. A year after his death, Ebsworth’s collection was put up for sale in a two-day auction at Christie’s and valued at $364 million.
