Carefully assembled over nearly fifty years, The Collection of Cindy and Jay Pritzker stands as one of the most discerning ensembles of Modern and Impressionist art. The collection reveals an instinct for works of art historical significance and aesthetic power. At its heart is Vincent van Gogh’s Romans parisiens (Les Livres jaunes) (1887), a work of immense importance and among the artist’s greatest still lifes. One of only three paintings chosen by van Gogh for his first official exhibition at the 1888 Salon des Indépendants, it marks a breakthrough moment that cemented his place within the Parisian avant-garde. Its subject—a cascade of yellow-spined novels, immediately recognizable as the publisher Charpentier’s popular editions—was rare in Van Gogh’s oeuvre and serves as a coded self-portrait, akin to his Chair (1888), in which personal objects stand in for the artist himself. For Cindy Pritzker, a lifelong champion of libraries and literature, the work’s presence in the family’s library resonated deeply, uniting van Gogh’s passion for books with her own civic vision.

Equally commanding within the collection is Henri Matisse’s Léda et le cygne, a monumental triptych that reinvents myth through bold experimentation. Other highlights include Paul Gauguin’s La Maison de Pen du, gardeuse de vache (1889), a pivotal Pont-Aven canvas; Max Beckmann’s Der Wels (Catfish) (1929), an allegorical tour de force from his Paris years; and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Hallesches Tor, Berlin (Halle Gate, Berlin) (1913), among the largest of his Berlin cityscapes remaining in private hands. The collection also embraces a breadth that extends beyond modernism, with treasures spanning centuries and cultures—from a rare Tang dynasty glazed horse to a 15th-century Petrus Roselli portolan chart and a late-medieval Tournai millefleur tapestry. What unites these works is a deeply personal approach to collecting: each was chosen not only for its historical importance, but also for its ability to live within the Pritzkers’ daily lives, reflecting their intellectual and aesthetic passions, and inspiring all who encountered them.

Through their dedication to the arts, architecture and civic life, the legacy of Cindy and Jay Pritzker represent how philanthropy, vision and cultural investment can profoundly shape a city’s identity and future. Motivated by a belief that the arts possess the power to unite and elevate communities, they became champions of creativity and public engagement. Among their most significant contributions was the establishment of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979, now recognized as one of the highest honors in the field, often described as the Nobel Prize for architects. This award has celebrated some of the most influential architects of the modern era, including Philip Johnson, Frank Gehry, I.M. Pei, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, Tadao Ando and Shigeru Ban, whose works have redefined the built environment worldwide.

In Chicago, Cindy and Jay Pritzker’s civic commitment to philanthropy has had an indelible impact. The Pritzker name is inseparable from the city’s cultural vitality, visible in institutions such as the Harold Washington Library Center and the Jay A. Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, both of which are now landmarks of civic pride and engagement. Through these efforts, Cindy and Jay Pritzker established a model of leadership and generosity that continues to inspire future generations.