Fire Destroys Over 200 Artworks Worth Millions, like Warhol’s ‘Myths’ and Haring’s ‘Totem’
West Hollywood art collector Ron Rivlin has discovered the true scope of the loss of his extensive art collection after his Pacific Palisades home was destroyed in the destruction of the Palisades Fire.
In an interview with The New York Times, Rivlin shared the loss of more than 200 artworks, including pieces by celebrated artists such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, John Baldessari, and Kenny Scharf.
During the chaotic evacuation, Rivlin managed to save only three Warhol prints. “It’s dust at this point,” he said, as quoted by the New York Times, describing the devastation he encountered when he returned home.
Among the lost works were several iconic pieces:
- A hot-pink Warhol print of Queen Elizabeth
- A complete set of Warhol’s Campbell’s soup can prints
- Warhol’s “Myths” series, featuring characters like Superman, the Wicked Witch, Santa, and Uncle Sam
- A 1986 Keith Haring screenprint of Warhol as Mickey Mouse
- Haring’s 1988 plywood sculpture titled “Totem”
Rivlin, whose gallery is located in West Hollywood, estimated the financial loss to be in the millions. This is the danger of private collections in homes, while well-funded museums like The Getty Villa can build fire-resistant buildings and potentially evacuate artworks, solo art collectors may not have the same resources and be forced to leave behind priceless artworks to burn.
There will likely be many claims to insurance companies, Rivlin has already filed his claims, but the artwork can never be replaced.
