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From May 8 through July 10, 2026, New York University and The Berkley Collection will present The Declaration of Independence: Long Trail to Liberty. For extended hours and more, visit theberkley.org.

 Grey Art Museum programming will resume on September 9, 2026, with by Alison Knowles: A Retrospective (1960–2022) and Making Music: Helen Frankenthaler Prints from the New York University Art Collection.
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An art gallery interior with varied artworks on display, including framed paintings, a wooden sculpture, and a display table with a glass case.
Modernisms: Iranian, Turkish, and Indian Highlights from NYU’s Abby Weed Grey Collection at Grey Art Museum, NYU, 2019.… Modernisms: Iranian, Turkish, and Indian Highlights from NYU’s Abby Weed Grey Collection at Grey Art Museum, NYU, 2019. Photo: Nicholas Papananias

The New York University Art Collection

The NYU Art Collection, which the Grey Art Museum has stewarded since its opening in 1975, was initiated in 1958 with Francis Picabia’s Résonateur (c. 1922) and Fritz Glarner’s Relational Painting (1949–50). Today, the collection includes nearly 7,000 objects and is primarily composed of late-19th- and 20th-century works, ranging from Pablo Picasso’s monumental public sculpture Bust of Sylvette (1968), to one of Joseph Cornell's boxes, Chocolat Menier (1952), to a bronze Heech sculpture (1972) by Iranian modernist Parviz Tanavoli. The NYU Art Collection includes major donated acquisitions, such as the Abby Weed Grey Collection of Modern Asian and Middle Eastern Art and the Cottrell-Lovett Collection. 

 

Explore a partial list of artists in the NYU Art Collection at the bottom of this page.

The collection’s particular strength is American painting from the 1940s to the present, with works by such well-known artists as Romare Bearden, Helen Frankenthaler, Arshile Gorky, Adolph Gottlieb, Louise Nevelson, Kenneth Noland, and Ad Reinhardt. European prints are also well represented, with works by Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, and Picasso, to name a few. 

When Abby Weed Grey endowed the Grey Art Museum in 1974, she expanded the NYU Art Collection with a gift of some 1,000 works of modern art that she acquired during her frequent travels in Asia and the Middle East. Truly an unparalleled and unique resource, the Abby Weed Grey Collection of Modern Asian and Middle Eastern Art includes some of the largest institutional holdings of Iranian, Indian, and Turkish modern art outside those countries.

One focus of Grey Art Museum acquisitions is art that has emerged from downtown New York’s creative milieu, as seen in works by Norman Bluhm, Elaine de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Deborah Kass, and Glenn Ligon, among others. In 2022 the museum announced a major gift of over 200 works by downtown New York artists from longtime art patrons and social activists Dr. James Cottrell and Mr. Joseph Lovett.

Featured Artworks

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Abstract bronze sculpture on a black cubic base with interlocking, curved forms and hollow circles.
Parviz Tanavoli, Heech, 1972. Bronze on wood base, overall 22 1/4 x 12 x 8 in., base 5 x 5 x 5 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Bronze sculpture with a grid-like cage structure enclosing an abstract form.
Parviz Tanavoli, A Cage for Letter H, 1970. Bronze, 7 x 5 1/8 x 4 7/8 in. Grey Art Gallery, New York University Art…
Abstract painting with blue geometric shapes and accents of green, brown, and black.
Parviz Tanavoli, Abstract in Blue, 1961. Tempera and gilt on paper, 7 x 18 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract painting with rows of blue anamorphic forms on a beige background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Blue Poet of Iran, 1964. Oil on canvas, 26 x 32 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Round ceramic plate with abstract black brushstrokes on a white background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Bowl, n.d. Glazed porcelain 6 1/4 in. diameter. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Abby…
Ceramic bird sculpture with brown and white geometric patterns.
Parviz Tanavoli, Chicken, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 12 x 10 x 6 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Abby…
Abstract reddish-brown metal relief with animal-like figures.
Parviz Tanavoli, Confrontation, 1967. Hammered copper, 27 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract white, black, and blue ceramic sculpture of a humanoid figure with a bull-like creature.
Parviz Tanavoli, Darius the Great, 1963. Glazed ceramic, 27 1/2 x 28 x 20 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University. Gift of…
Abstract ceramic sculpture with white, blue, and black colors on four metallic legs.
Parviz Tanavoli, Fabulous Beast, 1961. Glazed ceramic and copper, 28 x 22 1/2 x 12 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Abstract painting with blue, black, and brown geometric shapes on a grayish-white background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Figures, 1961. Watercolor and gilt on paper, 21 1/8 x 13 1/8 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Silver hand-shaped brooch or pendant with turquoise stones in a grid pattern.
Parviz Tanavoli, Hand (Brooch/Pendant), 1976. Silver and turquoise, 2 1/2 x 2 1/4 x 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Artwork featuring beige forms resembling hands within a square grid on an off-white background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Hands of a Poet, 1966. Painted wood and plaster construction, 47 3/4 x 32 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum,…
Abstract painting of a face and hands in blue and black tones with swirling patterns.
Parviz Tanavoli, Head of a Woman, 1961. Tempera and ink on paper, 18 1/4 x 11 7/8 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Silver ring with an abstract Persian calligraphic heech design on a light gray background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Heech (Ring), 1972. Silver, 1 7/8 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
A yellow ceramic cube with square openings and a blue abstract Persian calligraphic heech form inside.
Parviz Tanavoli, Heech in a Cage, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 7 3/8 x 4 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Rectangular bronze sculpture with grid patterns and three locks on a stone pedestal.
Parviz Tanavoli, Heech Tablet, 1973. Bronze on travertine base, 71 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 11 7/8 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
A square, golden-bronze artwork with a circular opening filled with small, metallic locks.
Parviz Tanavoli, Here No One Opens Any Gates, 1970. Bronze, 20 5/8 x 20 5/8 x 3 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Bronze abstract sculpture on a rectangular base, featuring a geometric human-like form with tubular arms and a triangular body.
Parviz Tanavoli, I Desire My Beloved, 1969. Bronze on travertine stone base, 20 1/2 x 11 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum,…
Cream-colored abstract ceramic sculpture with black and green details and Persian calligraphic text.
Parviz Tanavoli, I Want My Dear, 1971. Glazed and painted ceramic, 17 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 8 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Abstract green ibex sculpture on a stone base.
Parviz Tanavoli, Ibex, 1970. Bronze on travertine base, 12 x 4 x 6 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract painting with blue semi-figurative shapes on a textured white background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Last Poet of Iran, 1962. Oil on canvas, 26 x 32 in. Grey Art Gallery, New York University Art Collection.…
An abstract painting featuring a grid of black, humanoid shapes on a textured, pastel-colored background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Last Poet of Iran, 1962. Oil on canvas, 46 7/8 x 45 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
A grid of abstract, humanoid black shapes on a textured pale background, with one red shape.
Parviz Tanavoli, Last Poet of Iran, 1964. Oil on canvas, 46 5/8 x 45 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Square metal brooch with a central design of lock-like shapes.
Parviz Tanavoli, Locks (Brooch/Pendant), 1976. Silver, 1 11/16 x 1 11/16 x 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract circular design resembling an eye with intricate patterns and fragmented outer sections.
Parviz Tanavoli, Mystic Eye, 1962. Etching on paper, 14 3/4 x 19 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Abstract painting with geometric shapes, featuring a large figure bending over smaller figures with hands up in a protective stance, set against a blue background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Myth, 1961. Gouache, ink, and gilt on paper. 39 x 27 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract artwork of a stylized nightingale bird composed of geometric shapes on a deep blue background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Nightingale (To Abby), 1974. Silkscreen on paper, 19 1/2 x 27 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract lithograph featuring a gridded window with red padlocks and colorful geometric shapes.
Parviz Tanavoli, Oh! Nightingale, 1974. Lithograph, 27 3/4 x 20 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Woodcut illustration of a Persian tea house scene with musicians and a hookah.
Parviz Tanavoli, Persian Tea House, 1959. Woodcut on paper, 11 1/8 x 8 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Ceramic plate with abstract green, yellow, and black design, possibly depicting an animal.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Abstract painting on a square ceramic plate with swirling blues, grays, and a central black-outlined green form.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Ceramic plate with green background and bold black abstract design.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Square ceramic plate with abstract black design on white background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Ceramic plate with blue and black abstract patterns.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Square ceramic plate with blue and black abstract design.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Ceramic plate with blue and black abstract design featuring grid pattern and symbols.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 6 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Ceramic plate with abstract design featuring a central yellow and blue pattern and web-like radiating black lines on brown and green background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Plate, n.d. Glazed porcelain, 10 1/4 in. (in diameter). Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Ceramic sculpture with spherical and rectangular forms in white, blue, and gray.
Parviz Tanavoli, Poet and Prophet, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 7 x 10 x 4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Abstract ceramic sculpture resembling a four-legged creature with pointed ears and a long tail, in white, black, and blue hues.
Parviz Tanavoli, Poet and Prophet, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 10 x 13 x 8 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract ceramic sculpture resembling a four-legged creature with white and dark blue-black markings.
Parviz Tanavoli, Poet and Prophet or Dog #1, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 7 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 6 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Bronze sculpture resembling a mechanical object with cylindrical and cubical components.
Parviz Tanavoli, Poet and the Horizontal Beloved, 1963. Bronze, 15 3/4 x 12 3/8 x 24 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Bronze sculpture with bird with raised tail feathers perched on a humanoid figure standing atop a wooden pedestal.
Parviz Tanavoli, Poet in Love with Bird, 1961. Bronze on wood base, 15 x 5 3/4 x 3 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Abstract ceramic sculpture resembling a four-legged creature with dark patches on a light ground.
Parviz Tanavoli, Painter Dog, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 6 x 13 x 3 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Simple line drawing of a mustachioed man's face with handwritten markings.
Parviz Tanavoli, Portrait of a Man, 1959. Ink on paper, 14 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract exhibition poster featuring large stylized figures and bold text reading "TANAVOLI" and "ATELIER KABOUD AVE PAHLAVI 50 2-16 DEC. 1961."
Parviz Tanavoli, Poster for Tanavoli Exhibition, 1961. Silkscreen on paper, 39 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Sculpture of a T-shaped column with beige and turquoise accents and decorative symbols.
Parviz Tanavoli, Prophet in Love, n.d. Glazed ceramic (four pieces), 37 x 26 x 13 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Abstract ceramic sculpture resembling a four-legged creative with beige and dark brown patches on cream-colored ground.
Parviz Tanavoli, Round Head Dog, n.d. Glazed ceramic, 5 3/4 x 10 1/2 x 4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract humanoid and animal-like figures and symbols in blue and black on a light gray-blue background with a centrally positioned blue rectangle.
Parviz Tanavoli, Sculptures of Persepolis #1, 1961. Tempera on paper, 23 3/8 x 17 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Abstract painting of dark blue and black figures on a light background, including a tall figure and a four-legged creature.
Parviz Tanavoli, Sculptures of Persepolis #2, n.d. Tempera and ink on paper, 26 3/4 x 20 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Minimalistic ink drawing of a seated woman with dark hair and dark slippers, created with flowing lines on tan paper.
Parviz Tanavoli, Seated Woman with Dark Slippers and Dark Hair, 1959. Ink on paper, 14 3/4 x 10 in. Grey Art Museum, New…
Minimalist line drawing of a seated woman on a beige background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Seated Woman, 1957. Ink on paper, 14 3/4 x 9 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Tall sculptural artwork with geometric black patterns on a white base, topped by a hand motif.
Parviz Tanavoli, Shirin, Beloved of King, 1963. Glazed ceramic and metal, 59 1/2 x 14 x 14 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Abstract artwork with textured metal-like materials, including something resembling a necklace, in a wooden frame.
Parviz Tanavoli, Shirin's Necklace, 1964. Mixed-media relief, 11 x 9 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Tall abstract sculpture of a humanoid figure with clawed feet, a rectangular body, and raised hand perched atop
Parviz Tanavoli, Song of Life, 1963. Copper, steel, glass and wax apple, 79 3/8 x 16 x 8 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Bronze sculpture resembling an ornate chair with a tall backrest and decorative features.
Parviz Tanavoli, The Beloved of a Chair, 1972. Bronze, 7 1/2 x 5 1/4 x 3 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract print composed of black and white grid with unique designs in each cell, including faces and geometric shapes.
Parviz Tanavoli, The Fruit of Life, 1964. Lithograph on paper, 20 1/2 x 15 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
An abstract artwork with a block of blue text, possibly in Persian calligraphy, and symbols above a blue form composed of dynamic shapes and agular lines against a green background.
Parviz Tanavoli, The Horse of Prophet, 1964. Lithograph on paper, 30 x 19 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Bronze sculpture consisting of interconnected shapes, including rectangular and elongated forms, suggesting a complex, woven structure. The sculpture is on a wooden rectangular base.
Parviz Tanavoli, The Lock of Love, 1972. Bronze on wood base, 5 1/4 x 7 1/8 x 2 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Abstract painting of two blue humanoid figures against a pale background with Persian calligraphic script.
Parviz Tanavoli, The Lovers, 1961. Tempera on paper, 25 3/4 x 19 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Bronze abstract sculpture with geometric forms on a black wooden base.
Parviz Tanavoli, The Prophet, 1964. Bronze on wood base, 22 1/2 x 9 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract drawing of two standing figures with elongated bodies, they're arms reached towards their respective heads, on aged paper.
Parviz Tanavoli, Two Figures Gesturing, 1959. Ink on paper, 11 x 8 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract painting of two intertwined figures in black, blue, and brown on a light background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Two Figures, 1960. Acrylic and gilt on cardboard, 19 5/8 x 15 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Printof two black abstract figures comprised of stached geometric shapes, standing side by side on a white background.
Parviz Tanavoli, Two Figures, 1962. Aquatint on paper, 7 3/8 x 3 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Minimal line drawing of two reclining nude female figures, one on the top half of the paper and one on the bottom half, with scattered Persian calligraphic text
Parviz Tanavoli, Two Reclining Nudes, 1960. Ink on paper, 25 3/4 x 19 1/2 x 12 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Bronze abstract sculpture with cuboid features and a horn-like extension, on a marble rectangular base.
Parviz Tanavoli, Untitled (from the Nightingale Cage series), n.d. Brass on marble base, 9 1/2 x 7 x 2 1/2 in. Grey Art…
Yellow ceramic sculpture in the abstracted form of a bird, with black accents.
Parviz Tanavoli, Untitled (Yellow Bird), n.d. Glazed ceramic, 10 x 11 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Bronze sculpture comprised of stacked geometric forms with geometric cutouts, on a stone base.
Parviz Tanavoli, We are Happy Locked Within Holes, 1970. Bronze on travertine base, 30 x 7 1/4 x 10 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum,…

Collection Highlights

Artists in the Collection

Shiva Ahmadi

Mahmud Ahmadi

Nevzat Akoral

Ambadas

Jaya Appasamy

Siah Armajani

Mustafa Aslier

Milton Avery

Donald Baechler

Jamal Bakhshpour

Prabhakar Barwe

Romare Bearden

Aliye Berger

Nurullah Berk

Sabri Berkel

Sadan Bezeyis

Dhanraj Bhagat

Norman Bluhm

Ilya Bolotowsky

James Brown

Ali Avni Çelebi

Joseph Cornell

Bimal Das Gupta

Shanti Dave

Elaine De Kooning

Willem De Kooning

Sonia Delaunay

Nejad Melih Devrim

Kamran Diba

Bijan Dowlatshahi

Âbidin Elderoğlu

Devrim Erbil

Cemil Eren

Ahmad Esfandiari

Mustafa Esirkus

Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu

Eren Eyüboğlu

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian

Roland Flexner

Helen Frankenthaler

Adam Fuss

Mansour Ghandriz

Fritz Glarner

Gündüz Gölünü

Behrooz Golzari

Arshile Gorky

Adolph Gottlieb

Marcos Grigorian

Satish Gujral

Ahmet Gürsoy

Grace Hartigan

Mary Heilmann

Al Held

Hans Hofmann

Somnath Hore

Peter Hujar

Maqbool Fida Husain

Nevin Islek

Mahmud Javadipur

Özer Kabaş

Ercüment Kalmık

Deborah Kass

Alex Katz

Hasan Kavruk

Fethi Kayaalp

Hossein Kazemi

Adrian Kellard

Krishen Khanna

Hossein Khatayi

Sumbat Kiureghian

Füreya Koral

Chitrangada Krishna

Devayani Krishna

Kanwal Krishna

Nicholas Krushenick

Ram Kumar

Yayoi Kusama

Glenn Ligon

Tom Lloyd

Sirous Malek

Édouard Manet

Robert Mapplethorpe

Agnes Martin

Seyhoun Masoumeh

Henri Matisse

Suzanne McClelland

Anjolie Ela Menon

Joan Mirò

Morteza Momayez

Robert Motherwell

Mir-Hossein Mousavi (Khameneh)

Louise Nevelson

Kenneth Noland

Nasser Ovissi

Ru'in Pakbaz

Francis Picabia

Pablo Picasso

Faramarz Pilaram

Robert Rauschenberg

Krishna Reddy

Ad Reinhardt

Bernard (Tony) Rosenthal

Behjat Sadr

Mohan Samant

Gulam Rasool Santosh

Sohrab Sepehri

Cindy Sherman

Laurie Simmons

Philip Smith

Francis Newton Souza

Mumtaz Sultan Ali

Vivan Sundaram

Jazeh Tabatabai

Sadegh Tabrizi

Parviz Tanavoli

Esmail Tavakoli

Adnan Turani

Jehangir P. Vazifdar

Kara Walker

Hamid Zarrine-Afsar

Fahrelnissa Zeid

Charles Hossein Zenderoudi