Oscar Benjamín Cintas Y Rodríguez (1887-1957)
Biography of a Bibliophile and Owner of a 1605 Quijote: Oscar Benjamín Cintas y Rodríguez (1887-1957) ___________________________________________ Jack Weiner For Alan Benton, sage, scholar, friend, and warrior Y fueron siempre mis lujos invertir en buenos cuadros lo que otros derrochaban en yates, mesas de juego o queridas. Eso es todo. Antonio Álvarez “Pagué…” 43 he purpose of this study is to analyze the personality and mo- tivations of this Cuban philanthropist, diplomat, bibliophile, art collector, and businessman.1 I want to determine what attracted TMr. Cintas so irresistibly to his beloved books—and especially the 1605 Quijote—and art. This study will also show that quixotic idealism and benevolence fueled his desire to collect books and art primarily for the well being of the Cuban people. A collector’s paintings and books allow the scholar to peer into that collector’s heart and soul. 1 I thank so many people and institutions for their invaluable help with this study. They are the Newberry Library, Northern Illinois University Founders Library, The Johns Hopkins Milton S. Eisenhower Library, The Harvard University libraries,The Chicago Historical Museum, Jill Gage, Sir Hugh Thomas, John Paul Rathbone, Linda Seckelson, The Thomas J. Watson Library of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Hortensia Sampedro, Margarita Cano, chief ex- ecutive officers of the Cintas Foundation, Sheldon S. Rosenfeld, Julio César Pérez Hernando, Edward Green, John Buchtel, Margaret N. Burri, Juan Portela, The New York Public Library, Vinnie, The Ryerson Library of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Frick Art Reference Library, Salvador García of the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago, The Morgan Library, Erwin Levol and Peter J.
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