Barrie and Deedee Wigmore Gift

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In 2020 The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City celebrates a monumental milestone of 150 years. As part of this celebration, Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore have gifted the museum 88 magnificent examples of American aesthetic movement and Gilded Age decorative arts and contemporaneous paintings from their collection of 19th century American art. William Trost Richards (1833-1905), Rushes, Easton’s Pond, Newport, Rhode Island, 1877. Opaque watercolor on gray carpet paper, 23 x 37 in. Promised Gift of Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore.

The Wigmores’ holdings are a testament to their commitment to collecting works of the highest quality. The collection, which was assembled over four decades, features outstanding works by luminaries of American art, including members of the second generation of the Hudson River School—Albert Bierstadt, Sanford R. Gifford, John Kensett, Alfred Thompson Bricher and Jervis McEntee. A number of other historic artists are included in the collection as well. Charles Harold Davis (1856-1933), Giverny, Harvest Moon, ca. 1880s. Oil on canvas, 20 x 27 in. Promised Gift of Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore.

“In the aesthetic movement, art infused every aspect of one’s home, and the incredible range of objects in this exceptional gift will enable The Met to evoke such an interior,” says Max Hollein, museum director. “This gift also has particular resonance in The Met’s 150th anniversary year, as the objects represent prime examples of American decorative arts and paintings that were created around the time The Met was formed. We are deeply grateful to trustee Barrie Wigmore and his wife, Deedee, for their remarkable generosity.”

An exhibition showcasing highlights from this outstanding collection, Aesthetic Splendor: Highlights from the Gift of Barrie and Deedee Wigmore, is currently on view at The Met. —