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Art connoisseurs Aaron and Barbara Levine amassed a formidable body of the artist鈥檚 works; they鈥檇 like nothing better than for you to see it

Philanthropists may fancy themselves the Medici of today鈥檚 art world. Demanding or endearing, they control the money that shapes public access to contemporary art and culture.

Over several decades in the middle of the past century, scholars, critics and knowledgeable art lovers realized that the wellsprings of modern art did not all flow from Picasso.

However it might happen, immersion in the collector community can bring lifelong rewards. Over 20 years of collecting, I have been fortunate that my path intersected with those of true connoisseurs including J. Tomilson Hill, Barbara and Aaron Levine, and Robert Lehrman.

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden announced today that it has received 鈥渢he most significant gift of art since Joseph Hirshhorn鈥檚 passing in 1981.鈥�

For every sought-after work in a gallery or bidding war at auction, there鈥檚 a winner: the collector who walks away with the work. The art world has often maintained an aura of secrecy around who might have acquired hotly contested offerings, with news passed down through the...