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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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Black-and-white photograph of a shirtless balding man putting on make-up while looking in a mirror in a backstage environment.
Peter Hujar, Charles Ludlam backstage at 'Galas,' Ridiculous Theater, 1974. Vintage gelatin silver print, 14 x 11 in. Grey…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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 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.…
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…
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…
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,…
Print composed of two geometric patterns with vertical rectangular shapes and rounded tops on a light background.
Siah Armajani, Sound Tower, 1972. Lithograph on paper, 30 x 40 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift…
Surreal illustration of a human body fused with bird features, including wings and a bird-like head.
Jamal Bakhshpour, Bird's Nest, 1973. Ink on paper, 27 1/4 x 19 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Violet-colored painting with the word "violet" written two times in Persian script at the center of the canvas. The Persian equivalent to the single digit “1” decorates the background.
Bijan Dowlatshahi, Banafsh, 1970. Dyed canvas, 73 x 79 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby…
Painting depicting the English letters of the alphabet in a grid pattern, with the dark green letters appearing on a purple-brown background.
Bijan Dowlatshahi, Green Alphabet, 1970. Dyed canvas, 71 x 75 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Dark muslin fabric in a rectangular composition. The warps of the muslin have been pulled so that only the wefts remain intact in most of the work. A long vertical column of unworked fabric occupied the center right of the composition.
Bijan Dowlatshahi, Untitled, 1970. Worked muslin, 46 x 36 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift of…
The image features a mixed-media artwork set within a wooden frame. The top section contains a series of overlapping paper cards with faded handwriting, organized neatly at the back of the frame. The middle includes a horizontal section composed of tightly bound thread. Below, there is a large panel of dark brown velvet fabric featuring a series of evenly spaced folds or pleats running vertically down the center. At the bottom of the art piece, a small cylindrical metal object is placed horizontally.
Bijan Dowlatshahi, Untitled, 1973. Wood construction with paper, thread, velvet and metal objects, 18 1/2 x 16 1/8 x 2 7/8…
Brightly colored, expressionistic painting showing figures in a crowded marketplace scene, with textured brushstrokes in the background bringing the composition together. Many figures appear to be women, wearing long flowing robes and head coverings.
Sumbat Kiureghian, Bazaar, 1970. Gouache and ink on newsprint, 7 1/4 x 9 3/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Geometric abstract artwork with a muted, textured background that is a grey-brown color. At the center, a diamond shape is formed by a network of intersecting lines, creating a grid pattern, which is surrounded by a few black and red geometric shapes.
Mir-Hossein Mousavi (Khameneh), The Queen's Park, 1972. Oil and plastic on plasterboard, 28 3/4 x 28 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Artwork with a textured, rust-colored metallic surface and a central vertical line of circular perforations, surrounded by a hammered impression of a diamond shape.
Ru'in Pakbaz, Ode To The Moon, 1972. Hammered and punctured copper, 19 1/4 x 19 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Artwork with a textured, rust-colored metallic surface and a central vertical line of circular perforations. The work has been hammered to create two opposing triangular shapes that converge towards the middle
Ru'in Pakbaz, Ode To The Sun, 1972. Hammered and punctured copper, 19 1/4 x 19 1/4 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University…
Abstract artwork of vertical shapes resembling tree trunks in shades of gray, brown, and black against a light background.
Sohrab Sepehri, Trees, 1970. Oil on burlap, 32 x 40 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby…
A circular artwork with two stylized figures surrounded by geometric patterns and designs in blue, gold, and black.
Sadegh Tabrizi, My Blue Heaven, 1972. Oil on canvas, 19 in. in diameter. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
A circular artwork with two stylized figures surrounded by geometric patterns and designs in green, black, blue, and red.
Sadegh Tabrizi, Riders, 1972. Oil on canvas, 19 in. in diameter. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift…
Metal sculpture of a humanoid figure with a textured, angular appearance and elongated limbs, holding a flat object.
Esmail Tavakoli, Lehafdooz (Quiltmaker), 1973. Iron, 18 1/4 x 16 1/2 x 11 7/8 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
A metal sculpture of a human figure holding a spear-shaped object in a dynamic pose.
Esmail Tavakoli, Nanva (Baker), 1973. Iron, 8 1/2 x 17 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
Metal sculpture of a longhaired goat made from elongated, textured metal rods.
Esmail Tavakoli, The Goat, 1973. Iron, 9 1/2 x 17 x 12 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby…
Artwork in the shape of a rectangular panel with a grid of carved squares, featuring four lavender squares next to each other near the bottom of the composition.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, 93 Fingers, 1970. Latex and acrylic paint on plaster and wood, 56 1/2 x 26 3/4 x 2 in. Grey Art Museum,…
Artwork with a 5 by 5 grid of handprint sketches with one central black rectangle.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Black Plaster Hand, 1970. Oil and pencil on canvas and plaster, 37 x 37 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
White square artwork with faint abstract shape in the center.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #1 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
White square artwork with faint abstract shape in the center.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #2 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork with a largely white background and crumpled texture effect central to the composition. The central area features a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, forming a sharp, star-like pattern.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #3 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork with a largely white background and crumpled texture effect central to the composition. The central area features a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, forming a sharp, star-like pattern.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #4 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork with a largely white background and crumpled texture effect central to the composition. The central area features a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, forming a sharp, star-like pattern.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #5 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork with a crumpled texture effect central to the composition. The majority of the composition features a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, forming a sharp, star-like pattern that fades to a white background.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #6 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork with a crumpled texture effect central to the composition. The majority of the composition features a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, forming a sharp, star-like pattern that fades to a white background.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #7 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #8 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #9 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #10 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #11 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #12 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #13 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #14 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #15 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #16 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #17 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #18 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #19 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #20 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Monochrome artwork composed of a concentrated arrangement of folds and creases, with the painted shapes forming a crumpled paper texture.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Evolution of an Illusion, #21 (in a Series of 21), 1970. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 37 3/4 in. Grey Art…
Artwork of a grid with 11 egg-shaped reliefs on a textured, gray background, featuring a gold-framed center.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, La Pomme de Terre d'Or, 1971. Painted wood and plaster construction, 43 x 27 1/2 x 2 in. Grey Art…
A grid of 36 squares with one distinct square inthe bottom left corner bearing an apple shape, set in a wooden frame.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Temptation, 1970. Latex paint on plaster and wood construction, 31 x 31 in. Grey Art Museum, New York…
Square artwork with rounded plaster apple forms embedded and arranged in an approximate grid pattern.
Hamid Zarrine-Afsar, Temptation, 1970. Latex paint on plaster and wood, 12 1/2 x 12 3/8 x 2 1/2 in. Grey Art Museum, New…
Abstract artwork with intersecting vertical and horizontal lines over a textured, earth-toned background. Alt-text generated by AI.
Krishna Reddy, Many and the One, 1971. Etching on paper, 16 x 22 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection.…
An abstract painting with vivid colors and dynamic brushstrokes, featuring a mix of green, blue, red, and yellow hues. alt-text generated by AI
Francis Newton (F.N.) Souza, Trimurti, 1971. Oil on canvas board, 30 x 24 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…
Abstract painting with a central orange vertical band surrounded by olive green sections and intricate textured patterns. Alt-text generated by AI.
Ahmet Gürsoy, Fall, 1970. Oil on canvas, 34 x 50 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art Collection. Gift of Abby Weed…
Black and white artwork of a person with a draped fabric headscarf, gazing upwards. Alt-text generated by AI.
Cindy Sherman, Towel Head, 1975 (printed 1995). Gelatin silver print, 7 1/2 x 9 in. Grey Art Museum, New York University Art…

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