Joseph Henry Gest | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Gest by Frank Duveneck | |
| Born | 24 April 1859 Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Died | 26 June 1935 (age 76) Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Occupation(s) | Artist, art administrator |
Joseph Henry Gest (24 April 1859 – 26 June 1935) was an American artist and art administrator who served as the director of the Cincinnati Art Museum (1902–1929) and president of the Rookwood Pottery Company (1914–1934).
As the museum's second director, Gest in his nearly 30-year tenure oversaw a massive expansion of the museum's gallery space, the hiring of its first professional art librarian, and the beginning of its print department. He worked closely with the collector Mary Emery to greatly expand the museum's holdings of European paintings, and forged partnerships with local schools and businesses.
At Rookwood, Gest adopted a more hands-off approach, opting to continue the policies of his predecessor William Watts Taylor. While successful at first, this led to problems when Rookwood encountered financial difficulties and Gest proved unable to adapt. Some historians of Rookwood have criticized Gest's handling of the company.
An artist of some ability in his own right, Gest was too preoccupied by his responsibilities elsewhere to devote much time to his art until retirement, when he painted a large number of landscapes, mostly in pastel.