LACMA Receives $50 Million Gift of Hirst, Schnabel, and Warhol

François Boucher, Leda and the Swan (1742).
Photo: Courtesy LACMA.
Gifted by Lynda and Stewart Resnick.

Two trustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art bestowed major gifts of art to the institution ahead of its 50th birthday in April, reports the LA Times.

Jane and Marc Nathanson’s estimated $50 million gift of eight works of Modern and contemporary art include pieces by Damien Hirst, Roy Lichtenstein, Julian Schnabel, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol.

“Fifty-million dollars of art for 50 years,” Jane Nathanson told the LA Times. “My husband and I believe that when you’re lucky enough to own such iconic works from important artists, they’re on loan to you. Eventually, all artworks should end up in a museum where the most people can enjoy them and benefit from them.” The eight donated works, Nathanson added, will help fill the museum’s gaps in American Pop art.

A gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, museum supporters since 1992, consists of four works spanning 400 years including a Renaissance painting by Hans Memling, a bronze sculpture by Giambologna, an 18th-century painting by François Boucher, and a 19th-century painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.

With the announcement of these generous gifts, the two trustees spearhead the campaign to encourage other patrons to donate works to the museum for its anniversary. A punch list of the total gifts donated to LACMA’s collection will be announced at its April 18 anniversary gala. About 50 of the gifted works will be on view in a show at LACMA’s Resnick Pavilion, a 45,000 square foot exhibition space named in honor of the trustees, from April 26 to September 7.


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