Written by the Family
NEW YORK CITY — Howard L. Rehs, president of Rehs Galleries, Inc., and one of the most respected authorities on Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century French academic art, passed away on November 19, at the age of 66, following a year-long battle with ALS.
Born on July 1, 1959, Howard grew up surrounded by a deep appreciation for art and the business that would later define his life. He graduated from New York University with a degree in art history, a decision that shaped not only his career but the direction of the gallery his family had built.
In 1981, Howard joined the family business and quickly became a driving force behind its evolution. He became president and began shaping the gallery into what it is recognized as today, one of New York’s most distinguished dealers of Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century European academic and realist paintings. His curatorial vision, scholarship, market insight and commitment to transparency earned him an international reputation for integrity and expertise.
Howard’s passion for French academic art was unmatched. Over the course of his career, he became the world’s leading authority on the works of Antoine Blanchard, Émile Munier, Daniel Ridgway Knight and Julien Dupré, authoring catalogues raisonnés and contributing significant scholarship to the field. Collectors, researchers and institutions from around the world routinely turned to him for his trusted knowledge, counsel and authentication.
More than a scholar and art dealer, Howard was a mentor to countless artists, colleagues and young professionals who credit him with shaping their understanding of art, business and ethics. His sharp wit, unwavering honesty and contagious enthusiasm left an impression on everyone he encountered, from first-time art buyers to the most seasoned curators.
Howard is survived by his devoted wife, Amy Rehs; his children, Lance Rehs and Alyssa Boggia; his son-in-law Adam Boggia; and his grandchildren Theadora and Bennett, who were the light of his later years. He is also survived by his parents Ann and Joseph Rehs, his sister Sheryl Rehs, his brother Alan Rehs and sister-in-law Michelle Rehs, as well as extended family, friends, colleagues and the many artists and collectors whose lives he touched.
To the art world, Howard was a trailblazer and an encyclopedic resource. To his family, he was a devoted husband, a fiercely loving father and a grandfather whose greatest joy was seeing the world through his grandchildren’s eyes. To those lucky enough to know him personally, he was genuine, generous and always the first to show up for the people he cared about.
Rehs Galleries will continue operating in the tradition he built, guided by his standards of scholarship, trust and passion for the humanities.
The family asks that donations be made to The Howard L. Rehs Fund for ALS Research, established in his honor so that no family or individual has to face the devastating weight of ALS alone.
Howard’s legacy will endure in the works of art he championed, the careers he nurtured, the artists he educated, the gallery he shaped and the family he loved beyond measure.
