Julian Robertson

This Herald story from 2005 has Trevor Mallard accusing Julian Robertson of being a secret American bagman for National, despite the fact he had also donated to Dover Samuels.

Mike Williams called him a “very right-wing activist”.

This awful American bagman, and “very right-wing” activist has just donated $115 million of art to the Auckland Art Gallery.

Bravo Mr Robertson. The largest single gift in Australasia. The donated peices include two Picassos.

He said he and his wife had the idea for the gift after the gallery hosted an exhibition of 14 paintings from their New York collection in 2006.

The free show attracted 30,000 visitors in 30 days, and the positive public response via letters and comments, which the gallery sent to the Robertsons, profoundly moved them.

“They were most appreciative of seeing the pictures, more appreciative than anything else we have ever done,” said Mr Robertson.

“You fall in love with these pictures a little bit and you want to be sure they will be left with somebody who loves them and that [exhibition] made us realise that they would be loved … We are really very happy that those pictures are going to be in Auckland for the rest of their time on Earth.”

What a stunning gift, that will be with us for centuries.