Sam Josefowitz was one of the most revered collectors of our time. His vast-ranging collection of discoveries spanning antiquities to post-Impressionist works is defined by a passionate and scholarly approach. Whether entrepreneurial, cultural, academic or personal, Sam Josefowitz’s innate and boundless curiosity was the thread which connected his ventures. For more than 50 years, Josefowitz, who was captivated by the history of humanity, assembled an astonishing array of works of art: from the time of the ancient Romans and Assyrians to the advent of modern printing technologies; from the precision of Rembrandt to the innovation of Gauguin. A scholar and an explorer, Josefowitz was drawn to artists who, too, saw the world as a marvel.

Sam Josefowitz purchased his first painting in 1947, and since then, embarked on a lifelong journey of discovery. In 1949 after visiting an exhibition on Eugène Carrière in Paris, Josefowitz decided to devote his energies to learning all about post-Impressionism. In 1956, Josefowitz first visited Pont-Aven, the small town in Brittany where these artists had worked — a moment that would define his collecting ethos. As his imagination was captured by the works of Pont-Aven artists, Josefowitz’s collection grew and developed a key focus in this artistic movement. On a flight from Paris to Geneva, where Josefowitz met engravings dealer Ira Gale, his interest in Rembrandt engravings began. Scholarship and conversation were to be the throughlines of Josefowitz’s collection and life: he was, above all, a man captivated by stories.

The life, travels and collecting journey of Sam Josefowitz: ‘When something seems to you to be a masterpiece, dive in’

After making his fortune through one of North America’s biggest record clubs, Sam Josefowitz pursued his passion for art in earnest, bringing the Pont-Aven painters into the spotlight and building the world’s most important private collection of Rembrandt prints