A Landmark Gift
Seattle collectors Jane Lang Davis and Richard E. Lang assembled one of the most significant private collections of Abstract Expressionist paintings and sculpture, as well as works by two towering artists of post-war Europe. Their shared legacy and passion for engaging thoughtfully, deeply, and personally with art—and the frisson of excitement with such a connection—can be experienced in the exhibition of these works that have transformed SAM’s collection, a gift of the Friday Foundation in honor of Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis.
With a passionate commitment to the arts, to Seattle, and to its cultural community, Jane and Richard spent their lives enjoying the arts and supporting artists and institutions. They understood the civic importance of a thriving arts community and its power to inspire people of all ages to learn, participate, grow, and connect.
Andy Warhol, Jane Lang, 1976,
acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, diptych, each panel 40 × 40 in. (101.6 × 101.6 cm). Seattle Art Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Lang, 76.47 (left); and Gift of Lyn and Jerry Grinstein, 2020.19 (right).
Alice Neel, Richard Lang, 1978, oil on canvas, 50 × 35 in. (127 × 88.9 cm). Seattle Art Museum, Gift of Jane Lang Davis, 87.46.
Frisson
The Richard E. Lang and
Jane Lang Davis Collection
Oct 15 2021 – Nov 27 2022
Seattle Art Museum
This exhibition celebrates the landmark gift of the Friday Foundation in honor of Richard E. Lang and Jane Lang Davis. The 19 works from the extraordinary Lang Collection, serve as significant examples of mature works and pivotal moments of artistic development from some of the most influential American and European artists of the post-war period, including Francis Bacon, Lee Krasner, Clyfford Still, Philip Guston, Joan Mitchell, David Smith, and others.