The Phillips Collection Announces Transformative Gifts of 20th and 21st Century American Sculptors' Drawing

Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan’s promised gift of 18 drawings reflects Duncan Phillips’s philosophy of in-depth collecting and thoughtful engagement with both art and artist.

Washington, DC—The Phillips Collection’s Director Dorothy Kosinski announced today an exceptional gift of 18 American sculptors’ drawings, promised by Phillips trustee and art collector Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan. This exceptional gift showcases the museum’s commitment to building a carefully crafted, in-depth collection—one that reflects founder Duncan Phillips’s vision and distinctive eye.

“These extraordinarily generous gifts enable us to extend Duncan Phillips’s legacy in meaningful ways,” says Director Kosinski. “Through such outstanding works, we can strengthen the museum’s already authoritative voice for modern and contemporary art, while also enriching our distinctive exhibition narrative—one renowned for the visual conversations created between important American and European artists. Linda’s gift has been promised at a pivotal time for the Phillips, as we prepare to celebrate major milestones such as our Intersections Series 5th Anniversary this year, and our 100th Anniversary in 2021. These important new works will serve as a valued symbol of confidence and support as we renew our commitment to educate, entice and entertain diverse audiences for another century. ”

With extraordinary vision and generosity, Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan has promised the Phillips her entire collection of 18 American sculptors’ drawings, works by modern masters such as Jay DeFeo, Tony Smith, Whitfield Lovell, and Louise Nevelson. These drawings are a major contribution to the museum, including works by 12 artists not currently represented in the permanent collection. Of great importance for its variety in media and artistic individuality, each of the works in Kaplan’s collection is exceptional in its high quality.

Kaplan acquired her first American sculptor’s drawing in 2000, David Smith’s Untitled (1959), a black egg ink work on paper. Smith, one of America’s most important 20th-century sculptors, viewed drawing as an essential part of his artistic practice, a creative stream in two dimensions that was connected to his three-dimensional work, yet also distinctly separate from it. With this seminal acquisition, Kaplan set off in a new direction of collecting, seeking in earnest drawings by American sculptors that were fully realized, finished ideas; she collected works that held their place in an artist’s oeuvre as independent objects beyond the stricture of a preliminary sketch. Since 2000, Kaplan’s refined collection of drawings has grown to 18 museum-quality works.

When collecting these works, Kaplan says she looked for only the most superb examples. “My collection is small but uniform in quality—that is what real collecting is all about,” Kaplan says. “I do not pretend to have the insight and drive of Duncan Phillips,” she adds, “but I am his acolyte and, in my way, I try to collect as he did. This gift is intended to enhance the already outstanding collection of works on paper found within the museum’s holdings. It gives me great pleasure to add to something that I so admire and love.”

In 2004, Kaplan made an outright gift to The Phillips Collection of Smith’sUntitled, a work that is the museum’s only drawing by this titan of 20th- century sculpture. Two years later, she promised three additional drawings—by Robert Arneson, Lee Bontecou, and Joel Shapiro—the first works by these American masters to enter the collection. Today, she has added new depth to the museum’s collection with the promise of her complete American sculptors’ drawings collection—this gift includes the museum’s first examples by nine seminal artists, including Louise Bourgeois, Jay DeFeo, José de Rivera, Theodore Roszak, Tony Smith, John Storrs, and Fred Wilson. Kaplan’s gift also gives the museum its first Alexander Archipenko drawing, as well as an ink drawing by William

Christenberry and a watercolor and pastel by Dorothy Dehner that add significantly to works already in the permanent collection. Finally, a series of three Jae Ko drawings and a Whitfield Lovell charcoal from his Card series add immeasurably to the museum’s recent acquisitions by these two contemporary artists. Modern Vision: The Linda Lichtenberg Kaplan Collection, a special installation of all 18 works, will be on view at the Phillips May 21 through Labor Day.

“Linda’s thoughtfully assembled collection of American sculptors’ drawings is consonant with museum founder Duncan Phillips’s ideas about in-depth collecting and thoughtful engagement with both art and artist, as well as a shared passion for drawing as a vehicle for artistic creativity,” says Kosinski. “Her promised gifts by this diverse group of American artists give breadth and weight to the museum’s overall collection of works on paper; but it also puts a wonderfully special emphasis on artists who, although known primarily for their three-dimensional work, embrace drawing as an important part of their practice.”

A Phillips supporter since 1986 and trustee since 2002, Kaplan is a dedicated champion of the arts in the nation’s capital and around the country. Serving on the Phillip’s Art Committee, she uses her expert eye to help ensure the personal touch of the collection. Kaplan is a collector of American art and for years worked as a Board Certified Appraiser of Fine Arts (ASA, AAA), specializing in 20th-century American art. She serves as President of the Lichtenberg Family Foundation, which supports fine arts, social issues, and health care.