Key Takeaways
- • Citadel CEO Ken Griffin acquired a rare Leonardo da Vinci painting, *Madonna of the Yarnwinder* (circa 1501), through a private Christie's transaction in 2024 and has loaned it to The Metropolitan Museum of Art on a long-term basis under the Kenneth C. Griffin Collection designation.
- • The da Vinci acquisition represents a strategic expansion of Griffin's art portfolio beyond his historically documented focus on modern and postwar masterpieces into Italian Renaissance works, signaling a diversification of his $1+ billion art collecting strategy.
- • The painting, also known as the *Lansdowne Madonna*, predates da Vinci's *Mona Lisa* (begun circa 1503) and was privately held for over two decades before entering Griffin's collection, underscoring its rarity and institutional significance.
- • While Griffin recently loaned 10 Jean-Michel Basquiat works to Miami's Pérez Art Museum, museum director Franklin Sirmans indicated a Renaissance-era da Vinci is unlikely to be exhibited in Miami given PAMM's curatorial focus on works from the last 100 years, though he acknowledged future possibilities remain open.
- • The public loan to the Met reflects Griffin's broader pattern of philanthropic art patronage aligned with his Miami relocation strategy, balancing private collecting with institutional access and cultural capital positioning.
Summary
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin has added a significant Italian Renaissance masterpiece to his art collection: a Leonardo da Vinci painting titled *Madonna of the Yarnwinder*, also known as the *Lansdowne Madonna*, dating to approximately 1501. According to the Met's records, Griffin acquired the work through a private transaction via Christie's in 2024 and subsequently placed it on long-term loan at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is now publicly accessible under the Kenneth C. Griffin Collection designation.
The painting emerged into public view with minimal fanfare when art media discovered it at the Met last month, despite the absence of a formal press release from either Griffin or the museum. Dated to da Vinci's mature period, the work predates his renowned *Mona Lisa*, which he began around 1503, making it a significant artifact from the artist's productive Renaissance phase. The painting had remained in private hands for more than two decades before its acquisition by Griffin, underscoring both its rarity and the exclusivity of the market for authenticated da Vinci works.
This acquisition marks a notable departure from Griffin's established collecting profile. The Citadel founder has historically been recognized for accumulating modern and postwar masterpieces, with recent high-profile activity including a loan of 10 Jean-Michel Basquiat works to the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) for the exhibition "Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols." The introduction of Renaissance-era works suggests a deliberate expansion into earlier European art periods, expanding the temporal and stylistic range of his portfolio.
Regarding potential Miami exhibition, Franklin Sirmans, director of PAMM, indicated that while Griffin's collection merits praise, a da Vinci from the 1500s falls outside the museum's core curatorial mandate, which emphasizes painters from the last 100 years. However, Sirmans noted that possibilities remain open for future consideration. No formal announcement regarding a Miami venue has been confirmed. The loan to the Met reflects Griffin's broader strategy of providing public institutional access to significant works while maintaining private ownership—a pattern consistent with his positioning as a major cultural benefactor aligned with his recent relocation of Citadel headquarters to Miami.
The painting emerged into public view with minimal fanfare when art media discovered it at the Met last month, despite the absence of a formal press release from either Griffin or the museum. Dated to da Vinci's mature period, the work predates his renowned *Mona Lisa*, which he began around 1503, making it a significant artifact from the artist's productive Renaissance phase. The painting had remained in private hands for more than two decades before its acquisition by Griffin, underscoring both its rarity and the exclusivity of the market for authenticated da Vinci works.
This acquisition marks a notable departure from Griffin's established collecting profile. The Citadel founder has historically been recognized for accumulating modern and postwar masterpieces, with recent high-profile activity including a loan of 10 Jean-Michel Basquiat works to the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) for the exhibition "Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols." The introduction of Renaissance-era works suggests a deliberate expansion into earlier European art periods, expanding the temporal and stylistic range of his portfolio.
Regarding potential Miami exhibition, Franklin Sirmans, director of PAMM, indicated that while Griffin's collection merits praise, a da Vinci from the 1500s falls outside the museum's core curatorial mandate, which emphasizes painters from the last 100 years. However, Sirmans noted that possibilities remain open for future consideration. No formal announcement regarding a Miami venue has been confirmed. The loan to the Met reflects Griffin's broader strategy of providing public institutional access to significant works while maintaining private ownership—a pattern consistent with his positioning as a major cultural benefactor aligned with his recent relocation of Citadel headquarters to Miami.
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