New York Metropolitan Museum of Art receives $1bn donation
 

"New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has received a $1bn (£650m) donation of Cubist art from cosmetics executive, Leonard Lauder.

The heir to the Estee Lauder fortune has pledged 78 works - considered one of the foremost collections of Cubism in the world.

It includes pieces from Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Juan Gris and Fernand Leger which were amassed over 37 years.

Museum director Thomas Campbell said the gift was "truly transformational".

In a statement, Lauder, 80, said his gift was for "the people who live and work in New York and those from around the world who come to visit our great arts institutions".

The Met had previously been weak on early 20th Century art, but with Lauder's donation it will be at the forefront of world collections."


What an awesome thing to do. It's awesome to see someone who truly understands art, and doesn't think of Art as just an "investment".

Well done Mr. Lauder. :worship:

Fantastic legacy.