Connoisseurs Around the Corner: Gifts of Art from MAG’s Founding Family
September 6, 2013–January 19, 2014
Lockhart Gallery
Three generations of MAG’s founding family, the Watsons, have enriched the Gallery’s collections with art, ancient to modern.
From Emily and James Sibley Watson came the most diverse group of objects, reflecting the encyclopedic nature of their tastes. Their son and his wife, James Sibley Watson, Jr. and Hildegarde Lasell Watson, built a collection of contemporary works by artists including E.E. Cummings, Gaston Lachaise, and William Gropper—all of whom were featured in the avant-garde magazine, The Dial, in the 1920s. More recently, Michael Watson and his wife, Nicoleta, shepherded the family collection and gave a number of important pieces to MAG.
E. E. Cummings
Oil on pulp board. Gift of Nancy Watson Dean, 2002.7 © W. W. Norton & Company Inc.
