Recent Gifts of Art

Tony King (1934-2017) was an attentive observer of the world around him, capturing it through his photographic artistry. The range of his photographic pursuits was wide, but birds were clearly an important focus, and we are thrilled to report the recent gift from the Judy and Tony King Foundation of 125 photographic prints by King from among his extensive opus of bird photography. His work is also in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Museum of Modern Art.

B. A. (Tony) King (1934-2017), Nesting Egret, photograph, before 2004. Mass Audubon Collection, gift of the Judy and Tony King Foundation, 2022.

Another new acquisition is an exciting painting of a snowy owl by the contemporary Dutch artist Ewoud de Groot through a gift from David D. Croll. Recent additions to the collection also include Lars Jonsson’s Green Heron, watercolor, 1995, a gift from Laura Johnson; and three gifts from Kathy Emrich and Bob Sherwood: a miniature merganser decoy, c.1920, by Martha’s Vineyard carver Frank Adams; a c.1970 woodcut entitled Quail by Clement Hurd, illustrator of the beloved children’s book, Goodnight Moon; and Songbirds I, a large etching with watercolor by Alan James Robinson, artist’s proof, c.1983.

Ewoud de Groot, Snowy Owl, oil on linen, 2021. Museum purchase from the Art Acquisition and Restoration Fund through a gift from David D. Croll, 2022.

MABA’s art collection is notable for its breadth and quality, and gifts such as these enable us to continually expand and improve.