The Company I Keep: An Evening with Leonard A. Lauder | MetSpeaks

Join Leonard A. Lauder as he reflects on his deep connection with museums, the arts, and New York City in a conversation with Met Director Max Hollein.

Join Leonard A. Lauder as he reflects on his deep connection with museums, the arts, and New York City in a conversation with Marina Kellen French Director Max Hollein. Learn about Mr. Lauder's approach to building his seminal collection of Cubist art, and hear insights into his life experiences as documented in his recent memoir, The Company I Keep: My Life in Beauty.

The Company I Keep: My Life in Beauty is available for purchase in person at The Met Store and online. All author proceeds from the sale of the book will be donated to charity.

Leonard A. Lauder is chairman emeritus and former CEO of the Estée Lauder Companies. He currently serves as the senior member of the board of directors. Born and raised in New York City, Mr. Lauder helped his mother establish the Estée Lauder Companies in their family kitchen in 1946. In 1958, after serving in the U.S. Navy, Mr. Lauder officially joined Estée Lauder and established the research and development laboratory. His five decades of leadership have transformed the company from a small domestic business to a beloved multibrand and global icon.

Mr. Lauder is also the cofounder and cochairman of the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation and the honorary chairman of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. An arts enthusiast and collector, Mr. Lauder established the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art at The Met in concert with the promised gift of his Cubist collection to the Museum.

Captioning is made possible by the Ruth Lapham Lloyd Trust.

Organized by the Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art.


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Houses under the Trees, Fernand Léger  French, Oil on canvas
Fernand Léger
1913
The Scallop Shell: "Notre Avenir est dans l'Air", Pablo Picasso  Spanish, Enamel and oil on canvas
Pablo Picasso
Paris, spring 1912
The Village, Fernand Léger  French, Oil on canvas
Fernand Léger
1914