Iris Cantor, the prolific art collector and philanthropist whose patronage transformed major American institutions, has died at the age of 95 in Palm Beach, Florida. Alongside her late husband, B. Gerald Cantor, she amassed one of the world's most significant private collections of Auguste Rodin sculptures, eventually donating hundreds of works to museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum. Her death marks the end of an era for a donor whose name is synonymous with some of the most prominent gallery spaces and wings in the United States.
Cantor’s impact on the art world was structural, moving beyond simple donations to long-term institutional stewardship. As a longtime trustee of the Met and a vice chair at the Brooklyn Museum, she funded major architectural expansions, including the Met’s iconic rooftop garden and the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. Her legacy is defined by her dedication to Rodin’s oeuvre and her ability to leverage finance-world wealth into enduring public cultural infrastructure, ensuring that her influence will remain visible to museum-goers for decades.