Lucian Freud, Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau), 1981–1983, oil on canvas, 73 x 78 in., Paul G. Allen Family Collection, © The Lucian Freud Archive/Bridgeman Images.

SEATTLE, WA.- The Seattle Art Museum presents A Cultural Legacy: A Series of Paintings from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection (July 24, 2019–July 20, 2020). The iterative single-painting exhibition features works by Lucian Freud, Sandro Botticelli, and Georgia O’Keeffe from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection, one of the most significant private collections in the United States. On view one at time, the paintings will connect thematically to other work at the museum. 

Paul G. Allen, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, had a lifelong interest in the visual arts and stewarded the development of a collection that spans centuries, genres, and media. He was a frequent lender and donor to the Seattle Art Museum, including making a substantial financial contribution in support of the creation of SAM’s Olympic Sculpture Park.

In 2017, Allen lent 39 works from the collection for Seeing Nature: Landscape Masterworks from the Paul G. Allen Family Collection, an exhibition co-organized by SAM, the Portland Art Museum, and the Paul G. Allen Family Collection. The exhibition showcased key moments in the development of the landscape genre, which Allen hoped would “inspire people to renew their commitment to protecting Earth’s natural beauty for generations to come.” 

A Cultural Legacy will be on view in the museum’s third floor galleries, adjacent to SAM’s significant collection of modern and contemporary art. Large Interior, W11 (after Watteau) (1981–1983) by Lucian Freud is on view July 24–November 18, 2019. Next is The Madonna of the Magnificat (c. 1480–1489) by Sandro Botticelli (November 27, 2019–March 23, 2020), on view concurrent with SAM’s major fall exhibition, Flesh and Blood: Italian Masterpieces from the Capodimonte Museum (October 17, 2019–January 26, 2020), featuring works from the High Renaissance and Baroque periods. Finally, White Rose with Larkspur No. 1 (1927) by Georgia O'Keeffe will be on view April 1–July 20, 2020, concurrent with Georgia O'Keeffe: Abstract Variations (March 5–June 28, 2020), focusing on O’Keeffe’s early drawings, paintings from the 1920s and 1930s, and photographs of the artist by Alfred Stieglitz. 

Sandro Botticelli, The Madonna of the Magnificat, c. 1480-1489. Tempera on panel, 24 3/4 inches diameter. Paul G. Allen Family Collection.

Georgia O’Keeffe, White Rose with Larkspur No. 1, 1927. Oil on canvas, 36 x 30 inches. Paul G. Allen Family Collection.

 “Paul Allen was a tireless champion of art with an incredible commitment to this city. His cultural legacy surrounds us,” says Kimerly Rorschach, SAM’s Illsley Ball Nordstrom Director and CEO. “We’re honored to have this opportunity to present this series of paintings that reflect his appreciation for extraordinary art, and his belief that art connects us to each other and to the world.” 

“Art demands something of us: to slow down, to view the world differently, to see ideas and possibilities previously unknown,” said Greg Bell, Chief Curator, Art Collections at Vulcan. “We are grateful to be able to share these works with the Seattle Art Museum and our community, so that we may continue to enrich the arts and culture of the region."