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Agnes Gund: Philanthropy's Last 'Good Rich Person'?
12 May
Summary
- Agnes Gund's final artworks to be auctioned for nearly $150 million.
- She donated over 1,800 artworks to institutions during her lifetime.
- Gund funded an anti-incarceration initiative with a $165 million sale.
Arts patron Agnes Gund, who died in the fall of 2025 at age 87, is being remembered for her extensive philanthropic work. A New York Times profile questioned if she was "the Last Good Rich Person," highlighting her decades of giving to arts, AIDS research, and reproductive rights.
Her final personal collection, featuring works by Cy Twombly, Joseph Cornell, and Mark Rothko, will be sold on May 18, 2026, with estimates approaching $150 million. Gund previously sold a Lichtenstein painting for $165 million to fund an anti-incarceration initiative.
As president of the Museum of Modern Art for over a decade, Gund championed living artists and donated over 1,000 works to MoMA. Her influence extended to numerous other institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Gund's approach to philanthropy was deeply personal, characterized by her relationships with artists and a profound sense of empathy. Her initiative, the Art for Justice Fund, awarded $127 million in grants to end mass incarceration, funded by art sales.
Her legacy is one of profound generosity and a belief in art's power for social change. Friends and colleagues hope her unique model of philanthropy will inspire future generations.
