Insight Into Hearst’s Lavish Art Eye

By Beth Brody

Hearst the Collector, the new exhibit by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), brings together about 150 pieces of art and the story behind the media mogul’s unprecedented art collection accumulated during his lifetime (1863 to 1951). The LACMA exhibit began November 9, and will run through February 1, 2009 and showcases William Randolph Hearst’s wide range of collecting interests including pieces of armor, silver, and Renaissance tapestries as well as paintings by some of the most prestigious artists. The opening of the Hearst the Collector exhibit coordinates with celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the opening of Hearst Castle to the public. The exhibition will bring to light more than just the magnificent array of art that Hearst added to his media empire during his lifetime; the public will get a sense of why and how Hearst was able to accumulate such a vast and magnificent collection through an exhibit that both reassembles and contextualizes major aspects of the Hearst Collection.