February 04, 2015
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"Mont Sainte-Victoire," 1902-1906, Paul Cézanne, Bequest of Mrs. Helen Tyson Madeira, 1977
The Philadelphia Museum of Art announced Monday that it has acquired a number of new French paintings for its collection.
Five new pieces — Mont Sainte-Victoire (1902–6) by Paul Cézanne; Basket of Fruit (1864) by Édouard Manet; Railroad to Dieppe (1886) and Avenue de l’Opéra: Morning Sunshine (1898) by Camille Pissarro; and Young Girl with Basket (1892) by Berthe Morisot — were all received as a bequest from longtime supporter Helen Tyson Madeira.
“The distinctive character of our collection is due largely to transformational gifts, almost all of which have come from Philadelphians who cared deeply about both this institution and their city."
In addition, the museum acquired two rare early portraits — painted in Paris by Marcel Duchamp in 1911–12 — from Yolande Candel, the daughter of Duchamp’s lifelong friend, Gustave Candel. The paintings depict her grandparents.
All of the works are currently on view in the galleries.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses the world’s largest collection of works by Duchamp, as well as extensive holdings of Cézanne's works.
“The distinctive character of our collection is due largely to transformational gifts, almost all of which have come from Philadelphians who cared deeply about both this institution and their city," museum director Timothy Rub said in a statement.
"The extraordinary paintings bequeathed to us by Helen Madeira had long been promised to the Museum and can now be seen in the context of the great collection that was a bequest from her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carroll S. Tyson, Jr., more than five decades ago. We are also deeply grateful for every opportunity we have to strengthen our holdings of works by Marcel Duchamp, one of the key figures in the history of modern art."
Basket of Fruit is the first still life by Manet to enter the Museum’s collection, according to museum officials.
Read the full release for details about each painting.
