A masterpiece by French impressionist Claude Monet has been added to the National Gallery of Canada’s permanent collection, thanks to a donation by Montreal philanthropist and art collector Marjorie Bronfman, a longtime supporter of the Gallery.
In an announcement Tuesday May 5, 2010, the Gallery said Monet’s Rock Needle seen through the Porte d’Aval 1886, now on view, is “an innovative, daring and provocative painting created in the remote resort town of Étretat.”
Monet was born in 1840 and raised in Le Havre. He returned for inspiration to the Normandy coast throughout his career. He died in 1926. He was especially attracted to Etretat, which is known for its unusual cliff formations.
The Gallery says that “as no other artist before him, he found the chalky limestone rocks to be a rich resource for a colourist.”
“This painting reflects Marjorie Bronfman’s passion for art and her eye for excellence,” National Gallery director Marc Mayer said in a statement.
“We are most grateful to her for this magnificent complement to the Gallery’s internationally recognized collection of Impressionist art.”
A patron of the National Gallery Foundation, Bronfman has donated other works to the Gallery. Other donations include two works by Tiepolo. As well, the Marjorie and Gerald Bronfman Drawing Acquisition Endowment Fund, established in 2004, has acquired four rare and valuable drawings for the collection, the Gallery says.
A committed volunteer, important collector, and philanthropist, Marjorie Bronfman has been an active presence on numerous boards of directors for such organizations as the Université de Montréal, the McCord Museum, the Arthritis Society, the Mount Sinai Hospital Corporation and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. She is a driving force behind the Marjorie and Gerald Bronfman Foundation, which has supported a wide range of institutions. McGill units have benefited from the foundation's assistance, including the Gerald Bronfman Centre for Clinical Research in Oncology, the Jewish General Hospital (through the Marjorie and Gerald Bronfman Endowment Fund for Palliative Care) and the McCord Museum.
The Bronfman family -- based in Canada -- founded the Seagram's distillery fortune and are also active in large media and real estate holdings.
