Beastie Boy Mike D's father was an art dealer, so his family had an impressive collection all of his life. His mother, Hester Diamond, sold six paintings at Sotheby's back in 2004 for a total of $60 million, and now she is gifting a seventh painting to the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts.
The painting is a Paolo Veronese from the year 1560 entitled Venus Disarming Cupid. Diamond was very clear in a statement discussing her motives for giving the painting to the insitution: "First, it is an opportunity to honor my stepdaughter, Rachel Kaminsky, who joined the Museum Board in 2012. Beyond that, I have always believed that the best public home for a work of art is within an institution where it adds something new to the collection and helps bring in new audiences. Over the years, my collection has evolved, incorporating art from many periods, genres and styles. The Worcester Museum’s willingness to explore new ideas for encouraging audiences of every age to think differently about art reflects the arc of my own collecting."
It's nice when people are selfless and donate art to institutions. Diamond could have easily sold the piece as she has done in the past, but her passion for the art and her willingness to share that with the people of Worchester is more important than the money.
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[via Artinfo]
