Carol Vogel reports that Emily Fisher Landau has donated 367 works to the Whitney Museum:
“Every collection reaches a pinnacle,” said Leonard A. Lauder, emeritus chairman of the Whitney. “When Emily first started buying contemporary art, the artists were young, and many of those that she supported are now household names.”
The gift includes examples of some of the biggest names in American art. There are 44 works by Mr. Johns, for instance, including the first painting in his “Catenary” series; two by de Kooning, a 1952 “Woman” drawing and a 1987 painting; 18 by Rauschenberg, from 1950 to 1991; four by James Rosenquist, including the mural-size “House of Fire II” from 1982; and six by Mr. Ruscha, from 1965 to 2002. There are also 19 works by Glenn Ligon, who will be the subject of a retrospective at the museum in 2011, including one of his first Richard Pryor paintings.
Last month, Lindsay Pollock reported that Fisher Landau is the consignor of an early Christopher Wool painting Blue FOOL (above) in Christie’s Post-War & Contemporary sale next week. The painting is estimated at $1.5-2m.
Emily Fisher Landau Parts with Wool at Christie’s (LindsayPollock.com)
Inside Art: Trustee Pledges 367 Works to Whitney Museum (New York Times)
