The Robert Lehman Foundation Inc. was incorporated in 1943 to serve as a vehicle for its Founder’s benefactions in the visual arts.
Our Mission
First and foremost, the mission of the Foundation is to support the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The Foundation’s goal is to further Robert Lehman’s charitable vision, supporting the visual arts in ways to enhance the appreciation, knowledge, and enjoyment of this vital aspect of our culture.
The Robert Lehman Foundation operates exclusively in the field of the visual arts. Grants are made to organizations that are leaders in the field as well as innovative newcomers – museums, arts organizations, educational institutions, and other cultural organizations – with the aim of enhancing the visual arts in the United States and elsewhere in the world. The Foundation supports museum exhibitions, art education programs, scholarly publications, capital projects and art history lectureships that complement the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and advance the goal of identifying the Foundation with serious scholarly and creative endeavors. Foundation grants honor scholarly pursuits as well as programs encouraging creativity in contemporary art. The art education programs we support share the goal of providing art education to underserved communities, especially those with insufficient access to arts learning. The Foundation strongly believes that access to the arts provides opportunities and resources that markedly improves the lives of people and communities.
History
At Robert Lehman’s death in 1969, his extraordinary collection of western European art was left to the Robert Lehman Foundation with the express wish to transfer it to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The gift was made with the understanding that the collection would be shown in dedicated galleries designed to evoke the ambiance and wide-ranging richness of the collection. Robert Lehman had a longstanding affiliation with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, serving as a trustee and ultimately Chairman of the Board. On January 30, 1970, his collection of more than 2,600 works of art – paintings, drawings, manuscripts, majolica, frames, textiles, and European decorative arts–dating from the early Renaissance to the twentieth century was moved to The Metropolitan Museum of Art where it is housed today. The Robert Lehman Wing galleries celebrate an extraordinary legacy in cross-collection displays honoring Mr. Lehman’s wishes and reflecting the taste and connoisseurship of a great American family.
The Robert Lehman Collection
After considering various alternatives, the Foundation entered into negotiations with The Metropolitan Museum of Art, an institution especially close to Mr. Lehman’s heart, and where he had served as Chairman of the Board. These negotiations were quickly brought to a mutually satisfactory conclusion, and on January 30, 1970, the collection of more than 2,600 works of art, dating from the early Renaissance to the 20th Century, was transferred to The Metropolitan Museum, where it is housed today in the Robert Lehman Wing and exhibited in accordance with Mr. Lehman’s wishes.
Fulfilling the mission
It is the mission of the Foundation to fulfill and further Robert Lehman’s vision to support the visual arts in any fashion that enhances the appreciation, knowledge and enjoyment of this central aspect of our culture.
Many Images on the site are courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art