Posted by Leonard Steinberg of URBAN COMPASS on October 26th, 2014

Strolling through the exceptional Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibit of the Cubist works owned by Leonard Lauder, I was reminded that these masterpieces were actually in someone’s home until very recently: We should be reminded in a world obsessed with high priced real estate just how much less significant those numbers can be when compared to the value of the art hanging on the walls of these homes. We should also be reminded how sooner or later this extreme wealth does ‘come back to the people’….Mr. Lauder has donated his collection to the MET to be enjoyed by all. Ownership is a temporary thing after all.

This donation is also very important as it showcases how even the MET that is focused predominantly on pre-20th Century art is evolving and adapting too.