CODART, Dutch and Flemish art in museums worldwide

More than 300 Works Gifted to the Clark Art Institute

The Clark Art Institute has received a transformative donation from the foundation of the late philanthropist Aso O. Tavitian. The gift includes 331 works of art from Tavitian’s personal collection and more than $45 million to endow a curatorial position to oversee the collection, provide necessary support for the collection’s long-term care, and fund construction of a new Aso O. Tavitian Wing at the Clark.

The 331 works of art in the gift include 132 paintings, 130 sculptures, 39 drawings, and 30 decorative arts objects, creating an important addition to the Clark’s holdings. The entirety of the Tavitian gift will be on view when the new Aso O. Tavitian Wing opens.

The Tavitian Collection

Beginning in 2004 and continuing until his death, Tavitian assembled one of the most important private groupings of Early Modern art amassed in this generation. The collection reflects his personal taste, his extraordinary eye, and his belief that seeing these works displayed together further illuminated each object.

The gift includes works by many notable artists, with a strong emphasis on paintings and sculpture from the Renaissance to the early nineteenth century. Among the most important works of Dutch and Flemish origin are the Madonna of the Fountain (ca. 1440) by Jan van Eyck and/or his workshop, and Peter Paul Rubens’s Portrait of a Young Man (ca. 1613-15). The following painters are also represented by one or more works: Rogier van der Weyden (workshop), Hans Memling, Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, Braunschweiger Monogrammist, Joachim Wtewael, Jan Breughel the Elder, Frans Pourbus the Younger, Pieter Schoubroeck, Ambrosius Bosschaert, Pieter Mera (Pietro Mera), Jacob Hoefnagel, Thomas de Keyser, Anthony van Dyck, Jacob van Spreeuwen, Michael Sweerts, Wallerant Vaillant, Meindert Hobbema and Willem van Mieris.

For more details, download the illustrated list of all paintings, drawings, sculptures, and decorative art objects included in the gift.

Curatorial Endowment

In addition to the works of art and funding for a new addition, the gift creates an endowment for a new curatorial position, the Aso O. Tavitian Curator of Early Modern European Painting and Sculpture, as well as additional staffing to ensure continuous oversight of the works included in the collection. The gift also supports the publication of a catalogue documenting the collection, as well as the ongoing care and maintenance of the Tavitian Collection and the new facility.

New Wing

Selldorf Architects has been selected to design the new Aso O. Tavitian Wing that will be constructed on the Clark’s campus. The new facility will be positioned between the existing museum building and the Manton Research Center. Completion of the new building is anticipated for some time between 2027 and 2028.

Aso O. Tavitian

Aso O. Tavitian was born in Bulgaria of Armenian descent. In 1961, he immigrated to the United States as a Cold War refugee and soon received a scholarship to attend Columbia University in New York City. After earning a master’s degree in nuclear engineering, he went on to earn a doctorate in nuclear physics. He made his fortune as CEO and major shareholder of the software company Syncsort.

Tavitian served on the Clark’s Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2012 and he remained engaged with the Clark throughout his lifetime. Prior to his death, Tavitian made the decision to gift a significant portion of his collection to the Clark.