CHAPTER 1

The story of Julian Ritter’s life, more often than not, overshadows his accomplishments as a great artist. His was a bigger-than-life persona that propelled his spirit, and allowed him to delve ever deeper into the mysteries of his art. For in his art he perused the mysteries of beauty, of love, and indeed of mortal life and spiritual existence.

I welcome input from all those who knew Julian. All the stories add ever more texture to a life well lived. We will seek to know more and to understand his relationships with his women and his lovers. In that, we will look into the least known of all, his one true love, Hilde. We will explore the long, tumultuous affair and relationship with Laurie. We will find out first-hand what happened on the infamous ‘Boat Trip’, sailing the South Seas on the Galilee, only to be forlornly cast adrift, lost at sea after a crashing storm.

We will dig up secret manuscripts, and gain insight into Julian’s unique and inspired world. A world filled with voluptuous naked women, turpentine, cadmium red and yellow, wafting smoke and rich tobacco, Mozart playing in the background, along with the canaries and parakeets singing joyously.

This website is evolving. We will certainly display the art. The ART of the Master. First-off, I will display some of the paintings from the Silver Slipper Collection. This is a series of paintings Julian did for, and which hung at, the Silver Slipper Casino (and reportedly the Frontier Hotel). Howard Hughes later owned the properties, and when the Summa Corporation settled the Howard Hughes Estate, I purchased the entire collection from the Summa Corporation in Las Vegas. We will look for and display prominent pieces, as well as obscure pieces we come across, and those any of you may want to share. Our most recent additions are the collection from the Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco, as well a piece called Bachelor’s housekeeping, currently in the permanent collection of the de Young Museum, in San Francisco.

And with all of this, the most important aspect of all will be to explore Julian’s art. He painted as the Old Masters painted, with glazes. He mastered the technique. We will explore the subtleties of his art, his methods, and his techniques. A lot of what I’ve seen and heard about Julian is almost an apology. Apologizing that he wasn’t a Big Name, or that his work is not in Big Galleries or Museums. While it is true Julian disliked Galleries making money on his hard work. The fact is, Julian had an extensive history of Shows and Exhibitions.

Fame and fortune in the art world is more about people of wealth attaching their names and money, usually in the hopes of their own aggrandizement. Success in the venue of institutions such as museums has more to do with the politics of museums, and what will benefit a director or curator in his/her climb “to the top”. I am not saying that that kind of success or recognition isn’t nice. But I am saying it should not be the sole measure by which we judge the art. Art is the sole expression of a man or woman’s soul. Laid bare to be seen by the world, lest any one mortal has the right to “judge.” I think not.

We will learn about the cast of characters that so ravenously took part and drank in life with, through, and from Julian. For Julian was truly bigger than one life could encompass.