Munich Art Museum Gets Trove of Early 20th-Century Photos

Published: January 16, 2009

Man Ray David Hockney Lee Friedlander Bernd and Hilla Becher Karl Blossfeldt Albert Renger-Patzsch The Art of Persuasion New York Sales Preview

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MUNICH—Ann and Juergen Wilde have donated their private collection of early 20th-century photographs to Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne, Bloomberg reports. The gift, renowned as one of the most important early photographic collections worldwide, is worth a staggering €120 million ($158 million).

The Wildes began collecting photographs in 1968 and have continued to acquire important works over the past 40 years. Their trove includes photos by such names as Albert Renger-Patzsch, Karl Blossfeldt, Man Ray, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Lee Friedlander, and David Hockney. They also ran an art gallery in Cologne from 1972–85.

The couple intends to create a foundation in Munich to manage the photos, which will eventually join the Bavarian state art collections. The donation includes the archives of both Renger-Patzsch (1897–1966) and Blossfeldt (1865–1932), which consist of over 4,000 prints and 10,000 plates.

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The Pinakothek der Moderne only started collecting photographs in 1970 and until this gift, owned works created solely in the past 40 years, the museum said in a statement. The institution plans to open a research facility for the study of the history of photography after the acquisition.

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