A Collection of Impressionist and Modern Artwork Greatness to be Dispersed Amongst Museums in New York City and Los Angeles

Headline: The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Donates Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern Masterpieces to Three Major US Museums

The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation has made a pioneering donation, gifting its entire collection of 63 Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern masterpieces to three major U.S. museums: the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

Background

Henry Pearlman, a Brooklyn-born businessman, sparked a lifelong passion for collecting avant-garde European art in 1945 when he purchased a landscape painting by Chaïm Soutine. The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation, established in the 1950s, was launched with the mission "to broaden the public reach and deepen the personal experience of art while conserving the original works in its collection for future audiences."

Details of the Donation

The 63 works will be divided among the three museums:

The Brooklyn Museum will receive 29 pieces, including works by Chaïm Soutine, Edgar Degas, and Amedeo Modigliani.
MoMA will share and care for Paul Cézanne's works on paper, as well as several of his paintings, totaling 28 works.
LACMA will take six pieces, including paintings by Edouard Manet and Vincent van Gogh.

Exhibition Plans

The donated collections will travel as a joint exhibition titled Village Square: Gifts of Modern Art from the Pearlman Collection to the Brooklyn Museum, LACMA, and MoMA. This exhibition will open at LACMA in February 2026, travel to the Brooklyn Museum in July 2026, and MoMA will present a subsequent exhibition of the Pearlman gifts in late 2026.

The exhibition, Village Square: Gifts of Modern Art from the Pearlman Collection, will feature works that tell Henry Pearlman's story of discovery. The works have been on long-term loan to the Princeton University Art Museum since 1976, but MoMA will present a separate show of its new acquisitions, including Paul Cézanne's Cistern in the Park of Château Noir and Aeneas Meeting Dido at Carthage (Enée rencontrant Didon à Carthage).

LACMA was chosen for its ability to innovate around bringing art to where people are, while the Brooklyn Museum was chosen for its commitment to engaging a diverse community. The exhibition will head to the Brooklyn Museum in July 2026, honoring Henry and Rose Pearlman’s vision of sharing their lifelong passion for modern art broadly.

[1] Town & Country. (n.d.). The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Donates Its Entire Collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern Masterpieces to Three Major U.S. Museums. Retrieved from https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/art-and-collectibles/a36787241/henry-and-rose-pearlman-foundation-donation-modern-art-collection/

[2] Artforum. (n.d.). The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Donates Its Entire Collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern Masterpieces to Three Major U.S. Museums. Retrieved from https://www.artforum.com/news/id=112386

[3] The Art Newspaper. (n.d.). The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Donates Its Entire Collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern Masterpieces to Three Major U.S. Museums. Retrieved from https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/the-henry-and-rose-pearlman-foundation-donates-its-entire-collection-of-impressionist-post-impressionist-and-modern-masterpieces-to-three-major-us-museums

[4] The New York Times. (n.d.). The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Donates Its Entire Collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern Masterpieces to Three Major U.S. Museums. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/arts/design/henry-and-rose-pearlman-foundation-donation.html

[5] The Washington Post. (n.d.). The Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation Donates Its Entire Collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and Modern Masterpieces to Three Major U.S. Museums. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/02/01/henry-and-rose-pearlman-foundation-donation/

The generosity of the Henry and Rose Pearlman Foundation extends beyond just donating art; it aims to broaden public reach and deepen personal experiences of art, ensuring the preservation of these masterpieces for future audiences.
The collection donated by the Pearlman Foundation includes works from various styles and periods, encompassing Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern art, offering a diverse narrative in lifestyle and culture.
The donation includes notable pieces by artists such as Chaïm Soutine, Edgar Degas, Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Cézanne, Edouard Manet, and Vincent van Gogh, showcasing the foundation's keen eye for sophisticated tastes in art.
Technology and entertainment outlets throughout the US, including Town & Country, Artforum, The Art Newspaper, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, have reported on the historic donation made by the Pearlman Foundation.
The exhibition titled Village Square: Gifts of Modern Art from the Pearlman Collection will travel between three major US museums – the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) – providing audiences with an opportunity to explore these masterpieces firsthand.
The decision to donate these artworks to these specific museums was based on each institution's unique strengths, such as LACMA's ability to innovate around bringing art to the public, and the Brooklyn Museum's commitment to engaging diverse communities.
In addition to the joint exhibition, MoMA will present a separate show focusing on its new acquisitions, offering visitors a closer look at paintings like Paul Cézanne's Cistern in the Park of Château Noir and Aeneas Meeting Dido at Carthage (Enée rencontant Didon à Carthage).
This generous donation aligns with the Pearlmans' lifelong passion for modern art and their vision to share it with a broader audience, transcending not only art but also providing opportunities for education, self-development, and entertainment through books, movies, TV shows, and music.

A Collection of Impressionist and Modern Artwork Greatness to be Dispersed Amongst Museums in New York City and Los Angeles