Remarks Delivered at an Exhibition and Memorial Reception for Fanny Brennan New York, New York, February 13, 2002

Introduction by Leigh Morse

Good evening. I want to welcome everyone here this evening for this celebration for Fanny Brennan. I am Leigh Morse, director of Salander O’Reilly Galleries, and the woman who has been blessed and lucky enough to have known Fanny Brennan for the last twenty years. I just wanted to let you all know that we all here deeply, deeply cared about Fanny, and we miss her greatly. We miss her art, we miss her grace and we miss her person.
This evening there will be four speakers. We have Bruce Spivey, followed by Angus Wilkie, followed by Amanda Vaill and Richard Brennan will then speak. I ask you all to then go downstairs and celebrate with food and drink. There are pictures upstairs here borrowed from museums around the world and country and they have required that we have no food and drink up here, so all of the celebrating for Fanny will have to take place downstairs. It’s a bit more crowded space but we hope you will enjoy it. Today was her birthday.

Bruce Spivey

Good evening. It’s wonderful to see so many people here — a tribute to Fanny. We are here to memorialize a towering figure, a person who is larger than life: amazing Fanny. Amanda and I were privileged to be in Fanny’s life the last decade of her life. And, as she no doubt did to each of you, she touched us in so many ways.
There were many facets to Fanny. To me, they include a living historian. From the Murphys and Fitzgeralds to Picasso, to Brancusi, the Churchills and many other legendary figures in this room and beyond. A brilliant artist, such wit, style and execution. It’s so fitting that we’re here in this gallery. A perfectionist in everything she did. Her exquisite paintings. A delicious story. A plate of salmon sandwiches. A delightful raconteur. A recollection described by Fanny was, in so many ways similar to her art: crisp, witty, thoughtful, expository and altogether delightful. Be it a description of a grocery store, a friend or pre-war Paris, Fanny could make it as if you were there. And oh that laugh. She knew everything about giving a sparkle to life. A treasure trove of information about living. And especially about New York City, France or England. Be it pasta or Piccadilly, you could rely on Fanny’s superb judgment and recall. Amazingly, she never seemed to forget anything or anyone. This was the case throughout her life. A marvelous friend. Fanny made you feel that she was put on earth to attend to your interests and needs. She focused on you in conversation, and ironically made you feel better about yourself than you thought possible. Fanny had a supreme ability to draw you out. To make herself so humble, yet so charming, that every encounter was an upper. When you called her, you could always hear the smile in her voice. And oh, that laugh.