Roy Neuberger and his love of art
Roy Neuberger was an American financier who was widely known as a collector and philanthropist. His passion was art, which he tried to popularize. Items from Neuberger’s personal collection are now located in 70 museums and exhibition halls in various states of the United States.
Roy was born in 1903 into a wealthy family, but when he was 12, his parents died. After school, the young man entered the University of New York in the Department of Journalism, but he never graduated, dropping out.
Neuberger’s first job was at a department store in Manhattan, where, among other things, he sold paintings. It was there that he discovered the world of art, a love for which he never left throughout his life.
When the young man was 20 years old, Roy received an inheritance and moved to Paris. In the French capital, the young man visited museums and exhibitions, painted, and learned about the history of art. Neuberger was struck by the fact that many talented artists are not recognized in life and die in poverty. Roy then decided to support the creative people of today so that they could demonstrate their talent to the world to the fullest.
In 1929 Neuberger returned to the United States and took a job on Wall Street, where he did well. Ten years later, together with a partner, he founded Neuberger Berman. In 1950 the businessman opened a mutual fund, which did not charge a commission on the sale of shares. It was the first of its kind in the United States and is still in operation today.
The first painting in Neuberger’s vast collection was a painting by Peter Herd, purchased in 1939. After that, Roy actively collected works of other contemporary artists. And the financier collected paintings not just to enjoy them himself, but also to popularize their authors among a large circle of art lovers. Therefore, his collection was often exhibited in various museums and studios, where the works of Jackson Pollock, Edward Hopper, Alexander Calder, and others were present.
Neuberger had a particular love for the works of Milton Avery. The very first painting he purchased hung in the businessman’s apartment at the time of his death in 2010. And Roy began giving his collection to various institutions during his lifetime. For example, the museum at SUNY Purchase College has more than 500 paintings purchased by Neuberger. It should be noted that Roy never sold works of art, he did not consider his collection as a business and purchased paintings only because of his sincere love for them.
