A 50th anniversary can be celebrated in countless ways, from a big party to an intimate dinner to a fancy trip to a family gathering where the hi-fi is fired up and a few favorite records are played.
It would not be incorrect to say that Barbra Streisand has been heard at more than a few 50th anniversaries along the way, given that the performer's many love songs have become "our songs" for many couples.
Ms. Streisand has proved so legendary that her presence is even felt at the 50th anniversary of hallowed institutions. The Oscar winner just bequeathed a John Singer Sargent painting to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in honor of its first half century.
The three-person portrait, titled "Mrs. Cazalet and Children Edward & Victor," was painted during 1900 to 1901 by the American master artist.
"Barbra Streisand's wonderful gift will add depth to an already strong collection of American art from the late 19th and early 20th centuries," says Michael Govan, the CEO of LACMA.
"When I approached the museum with the gift of my beautiful Sargent painting, I was asked to make it a part of this campaign to build the collection which celebrates LACMA's 50th, and I was thrilled to be part of this larger effort," Ms. Streisand said.
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"I love this painting," she continued, "and am delighted to have found it a great home where it can be studied and enjoyed by everyone."
Ms. Streisand formerly served as a trustee to the Wilshire Boulevard museum from 2007 to 2014. And the Sargent painting is not the first work of art owned by the artist to appear at the institution; she has loaned others in the past, including a work by Edward Hopper.
The bequest's official reveal date is still to come, but you can see the Sargent the newly introduced painting will be displayed near now: "Portrait of Mrs. Edward L. Davis and Her Son, Livingston Davis."
Southern California is rather rich in John Singer Sargent pieces; The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is also a destination for Sargent enthusiasts eager to see his portrait of Pauline Astor.
Image: John Singer Sargent, "Mrs. Cazalet and Children Edward & Victor," 1900–01, Oil on canvas, 100 x 65 in., Promised gift of Barbra Streisand in honor of the museum’s 50th anniversary
