Birth of the Modern: The Arnold and Joan Saltzman Collection captures the radical energy of modernism’s emergence, from its Impressionist origins to the avant-garde ruptures of Expressionism, Cubism and Futurism. Highlights include seminal paintings by Léger, Kupka, Matisse, Miro and Picasso, as well as monumental bronzes by Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. The collection reflects the expansive, integrative vision of Ambassador Saltzman, for whom art and collecting was a lifelong study and pursuit. Arnold and Joan Saltzman were ardent supporters of the arts and proudly gifted their extraordinary collection of German Expressionist paintings and sculptures to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, where its dedicated gallery transformed the museum’s representation of early 20th-century art. This November, the landmark collection will be offered during our 20th and 21st Century Art auctions in New York.