LONDON — The Tate Modern art museum in Britain received a remarkable donation on Thursday, marking one of the most valuable contributions it has received in recent years. The centerpiece of this generous donation is “Iva,” a masterpiece by renowned American abstract expressionist Joan Mitchell, which had previously adorned a bedroom wall in Miami. This painting forms part of an expansive collection donated by philanthropists Jorge M. Pérez and Darlene Pérez from Florida, aimed at enriching Tate’s holdings of Latin American and African art.
The 20-foot-long (6-meter-long) triptych, known for its vivid strokes of purple, red, yellow, and white, was painted in 1973 and named after Mitchell’s beloved German Shepherd. It is now proudly displayed alongside roomfuls of murals by U.S. artist Mark Rothko, one of Tate Modern’s most popular exhibits.
Maria Balshaw, the director of Tate, described Rothko’s large canvasses as the museum’s “crown jewels” and anticipated that Mitchell’s “spectacular” artwork would shine brilliantly beside them. Balshaw emphasized that Mitchell, like many female artists, was largely “underappreciated” during her life, deserving recognition alongside male counterparts.
In recent years, the market value for Mitchell’s artwork has surged, with a piece fetching $29 million when auctioned at Christie’s in 2023. Such high prices make her works unattainable for many public art institutions.
Tate, comprising a series of British galleries tracing back to the late 19th century, is actively working to diversify its collection, which has historically favored white male artists. Since 2019, it has consistently acquired more artworks by women than by men. The Pérez donation also includes contributions from artists across Africa and the African diaspora, promising to enhance Tate’s collection over the coming years, along with a considerable endowment earmarked for appointing curators specialized in African and Latin American art at Tate Modern.
Jorge Pérez, an Argentina-born real estate mogul, emphasized the significance of showcasing art from Africa and Latin America in world-renowned museums and cosmopolitan cities, places where such works previously lacked substantial exposure.
The Pérez family has previously donated more than $100 million to Miami’s public art museum, now named the Pérez Art Museum Miami. “Iva” hung for many years in their Miami home’s bedroom, and Jorge Pérez admitted that parting with it was an emotional decision.
Interestingly, the painting went on display the day after then-President Donald Trump announced tariffs affecting U.S. trade partners, underscoring the global tensions prevailing at the time. Jorge Pérez, once an ally of Trump and now a critic of his policies, expressed the view that art plays a crucial role in linking diverse people and encouraging the understanding of different cultures.
“Art connects people of various backgrounds,” said Pérez. “It allows individuals to appreciate cultures that differ from their own, highlighting not just differences, but cultural similarities as well. I find that incredibly beautiful.”