| The collection of the Museum Ludwig comprises the most important stages and positions in the development of 20th century art |
The collection of the Museum Ludwig comprises the most important stages and positions in the development of 20th century art and contemporary art.ââ¬Â¨Roy Lichtenstein’s "Maybe", Andy Warhol’s "Brillo Boxes" and George Segal’s "Restaurant Window", all icons of American Pop Art, had just been completed when in 1969 they were included as loans in the collection of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. The works came from Peter and Irene Ludwig who have built up the biggest collection of Pop Art outside the USA. In 1976 the Museum Ludwig was founded with a gift of 350 works of modern art by the Ludwigs. It was to be the first museum in Cologne to exhibit contemporary art. Apart from pop art the Ludwigs also donated a large collection of Russian Avantgarde from the period 1906 to 1930 and a voluminous collection of several hundred works by Pablo Picasso as a permanent loan. The works by Picasso have meanwhile become the property of the Museum Ludwig thanks to two generous gifts in 1994 and 2001.
