Major private art collection donated to Dresden museums

By: Cody Cepeda - 7 years ago

Art patron Erika Hoffmann stands in front of sculptures as the tours the Albertinum in Dresden, eastern Germany, Friday, March 9, 2018. The sculptures are among the 1200 works of the Hoffmann collection which were donated to the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden. Image: DPA via AP/Oliver Killig

BERLIN (AP) — Dresden’s public museums are receiving a major gift in the form of one of the world’s most important private art collections, which includes works by American artists Nancy Spero, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.

The Dresden State Art Collections said Friday that the Erika and Rolf Hoffmann collection comprising some 1,200 paintings, photographs, sculptures and other works is being donated to its museums.

The Hoffmanns began collecting art in the 1960s, focusing on works in which artistic rules are broken.

Rolf Hoffmann died in 2001, after which his widow Erika extended her interest to Eastern Europe.

The collection, currently housed in Berlin, will be moved to Dresden over the coming five years. CC