He might consider himself tantamount to royalty, yet the only type of golden throne President Trump will find himself perched on any time soon, is the one designed by Italian contemporary sculpture artist, Maurizio Cattelan.
It’s not unheard of for museums and/or prestigious art galleries to lend the odd President of the United States a highly desirable piece of fine art. However when the present incumbent of the White House enquired about the availability of being loaned a Van Gogh to hang from the walls of Donald and Melania Trump’s private residence within the iconic building, the request was politely declined. That’s not to say the world famous Guggenheim Museum was unwilling to provide an art installation per se, just not a prized Dutch master at the time. And in the event, one which not so much required installing as it did plumbing in.
In terms of what the museum could loan to Trump on the fine art front was somewhat unconventional, let’s just say. Yet the alternative suggestion of this said piece couldn’t help but put a large smile on many faces, when it turned out to be acclaimed contemporary sculpture art exponent, Maurizio Cattelan‘s patriotically entitled, ‘America.’ Which, as grand as the title implies, is in fact a toilet; albeit one which has been constructed from 18-karat solid gold.
No, before you ask, this isn’t an early April the 1st prank, but rather what happened a couple of months back when White House officials (acting on behalf of POTUS) approached the Guggenheim to discuss ‘borrowing’ Van Gogh’s 1888 masterpiece, ‘Landscape with Snow’. Still, instead of just dismissing Trump’s request out of hand, the museum’s curator pointed the interested contingent I the direction of what’s also considered to be a more contemporary masterpiece in its own right; namely Cattelan’s striking ‘America’.
Guggenheim Refuse to Loan President Dutch Master, Instead Offer Trump a Pure Gold Alternative
Of course, while some Trump supporters might be irked by the seeming brush off, it might be counter-argued that the Guggenheim’s thoughtful curator was pandering more closely to the President’s keen sense of personal style and interior design taste. Especially when recalling that the most powerful man in the world boasts a passion for gold-encrusted everything, according to the décor of his New York home. Be it ceilings, plant pots and even, reputedly, a golden lift? So what better addition to this bespoke line than a gold toilet.
In an article which first appeared in The Washington Post, the publication had it on good authority that the Guggenheim’s curator, Nancy Spector offered Trump ‘America’ in good faith, with an email exchange between both Spector and the White House (cc’ing the First Couple in the e-missive, naturally) said to have read as follows. Spector; “Should the President and First Lady have any interest in installing it in the White House, the cr****r (a crude reference to toilet inventor, Thomas) was all theirs.” The curator added; “It is, of course, extremely valuable and somewhat fragile, but we would provide all the instructions for its installation and care.”