Rodin to Warhol: 60th Anniversary Gifts and Recent Acquisitions

In the six decades since the opening of the museum in 1954 that centered on the bequest of personal collection by Marion Koogler McNay, many individual works of art and entire collections were given by generous individuals. Their contributions helped to shape and expand the collection. Dr. and Mrs. Frederic Oppenheimer, Mary and Sylvan Lang, Jerry Lawson, Robert L. B. Tobin, and Jeanne and Irving Mathews are among the most prominent donors, but there are many others whose gifts have had a significant impact as well.

Since the McNay’s art acquisition funds have always been limited, gifts are essential to the continued growth and strengthening of the collection. This tradition continues and the McNay’s 60th anniversary has resulted in many important gifts, promised gifts, and purchases made possible by generous donors. Rodin to Warhol is not only a tribute to these benefactors but also an opportunity to demonstrate the continued development of the collection in every area, as selected by the museum’s four curators: William J. Chiego, René Paul Barilleaux, Lyle Williams, and Jody Blake. Works in nearly every medium are included, ranging from paintings and sculptures, to prints and drawings, to scene and costume designs for the theatre, as well as decorative arts. Nearly all works are shown for the first time in this presentation.

Among the diverse works are French sculptures of the late 19th century, European and American prints and drawings from the 19th century to the present, American paintings after World War II, and 20th-century scene and costume designs. Rodin to Warhol fills the entire Tobin Exhibition Galleries and is installed to illuminate relationships across time, geography, and approach, further conveying the significance of these acquisitions and how they enhance the McNay’s collection.