Dorothy Lichtenstein, the philanthropist widow of Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein and the cofounder of his eponymous foundation, died on Thursday, July 4. She was 84.
She was a significant figure in the art world and well-known for her enduring commitment to upholding and advancing the legacy of her late husband, Roy. They greatly influenced the 20th-century art scene and were strongly interested in modern art.
Dorothy's family confirmed her death, saying, "To us, and a great many others, Dorothy was a powerful model of how to be in the world. She was kind and deeply empathic, always doing 'the next right thing' and treating others with patience, love, and tolerance."
The statement continued that maximally generous and well-informed about the many causes she supported, she extended her benevolence to family, friends, colleagues, and employees, sharing her good fortune with all.
She has received recognition for her dedication to upholding her late husband's legacy as the president and chief patron of the foundation. The foundation's valuable collection was dismantled and given to American cultural institutions starting in 2018.
Roy donated 400 art pieces in various media to the Whitney Museum in New York, which now houses around half of its collection. Soon after, the museum assembled the world's greatest collection of Roy's art, 'the Roy Lichtenstein Study Collection.' Meanwhile, around a million historical materials and records boosted the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art.
"I like the idea of handing it off and seeing what the future brings," Dorothy told the New York Times in 2018. "Every 10 years, I say, 'How about winding it up in the next 10 years?' I don't want to leave things up in the air."
