As one of the most significant private contemporary art collections in the world, local philanthropists Stefan Edlis and Gael Neeson donated 42 iconic art works from 1953 to 2011 to the Art Institute of Chicago.
With a value estimated at $400 million, the Art Institute will display a pivotal collection of paintings, sculptures and photographs in the Edlis/Neeson Collection starting January and will be on view for the next half-century.
Top collectors and connoisseurs Edlis and Neeson worked with the Art Institute on donated art pieces to come up with an estimated figure, but the monetary gift is significantly invaluable.
According to James Rondeau, the museum’s curator of contemporary art, the Art Institute has been historically poor in collections of classic pop art.
Among donated art works that highlight the mid-20th century are famous artists including Cy Twombly, Jeff Koons, Charles Ray, Richard Prince, Cindy Sherman, Roy Lichtenstein, Gerhard Richter, and none other than Andy Warhol.
The Art Institute originally carried one Warhol painting, and, now with the addition of 9, it can truly showcase the artist’s life and work. The Warhol collection includes two self-portraits (1964 and 1966), Flowers series (1964), and Twelve Jackies (1964).
As said in the Chicago Tribune by Douglas Druick, the museum’s president and director, “This is one of the landmark gifts in our 136-year history a great gift to the city of Chicago.”
For more information, visit AIC’s website:
http://www.artic.edu/
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