Volkswacht Bodensee - Tate Modern gifted 'extraordinary' work by US artist Joan Mitchell

Donated to the iconic museum on the banks of the River Thames, the "Iva" triptych is six metres (19 feet) long and was painted by Mitchell in 1973.

It was gifted to the gallery by Miami-based US-Argentinian philanthropist and billionaire Jorge M. Perez.

"This painting is one of the most significant gifts we have received in many decades," Tate director Maria Balshaw told AFP, adding the last such priceless donation was probably the "Seagram Murals" given by artist Mark Rothko in 1970.

Mitchell was "a revered figure" within the wave of abstract expressionism, "but like many women associated with that movement... (her) work was not as well-known as her excellence deserves," Balshaw said.

Born in Chicago in 1925, Mitchell achieved some critical success during her lifetime. But her popularity rose after her death in 1992, with the value of her paintings soaring.

In 2024, the website Artprice put her in 11th place among the world's best-selling artists, and in 2023 her canvas "Untitled" painted around 1959 sold for a record-breaking $29.2 million.

"By the time we realised the importance of her work, they were too expensive for a UK public institution to buy," Balshaw said.

Donor Perez said "many of the important museums in the United States, already have Joan Mitchell in their collection... and I think it exposes American art to a European audience."

The triptych has been hung in a room next to the paintings by Rothko.

The museum did not want to reveal the exact value of Perez's donation, which it called an "extraordinary gift" worth "multi-millions" of pounds.

Perez and his wife Darlene, who made a fortune in real estate, also donated funds to allow the Tate to carry out research into African and Latin American art.

They have also given the gallery some African works of art from their private collection, including by Malian photographer Malick Sidibe and British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare.

A.Zbinden--VB