Thomas S. Kaplan, billionaire investor and CEO of Electrum Group, is set to auction off his first Rembrandt painting, a rare drawing titled "Young Lion Resting", at Sotheby's Master Works on Paper from Five Centuries sale in February. The estimated value of the work is $20 million, with proceeds going towards funding an endowment for Panthera, a global wild cat conservation organization co-founded by Kaplan.
A lifelong commitment to art and animals, Kaplan has amassed one of the world's most important private collections of Rembrandt and Dutch Golden Age works, comprising over 220 paintings and drawings. The collection, known as the Leiden Collection, is not kept at home but functions like a "lending library," circulating through museum loans and exhibitions worldwide to make them accessible to a broad public.
Kaplan's passion for art was sparked at six years old when his mother took him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He fell in love with Rembrandt, visiting the Met repeatedly and asking his mother to take him back to see more of his work. This early encounter set the stage for a lifelong commitment to collecting Dutch Golden Age artworks.
Over two decades, Kaplan has acquired about half of the Rembrandts still in private hands, including 17 paintings by the artist. He also owns two Rembrandt drawings, the most important being "Young Lion Resting". The drawing, which carries a high estimate, was purchased by Kaplan and his wife Daphne through a dealer with a painting by Gerrit Dou, another pupil of Rembrandt.
Kaplan's interests extend beyond art to Italian design, particularly the Torinese school and Carlo Mollino. He has made record-breaking purchases, including a Mollino table from 1949, which caught the attention of Bruno Bischofberger, a legendary collector.
The sale of "Young Lion Resting" will not only raise funds for Panthera but also serve as an opportunity to amplify its mission. Kaplan's commitment to wildlife conservation began early, with a childhood encounter that sparked his dream of working in wild cat conservation.
In an exclusive conversation, Kaplan shared insights into his collecting journey, which was influenced by a serendipitous chain of encounters. He recalled how Sir Norman Rosenthal introduced him to the idea of collecting art and helped him acquire his first purchase, a painting by Gerrit Dou.
Throughout our conversation, Kaplan used photographs of majestic Arabian leopards as background, highlighting Panthera's work in conservation across dozens of countries. The organization is currently leading a breeding and reintroduction program for big cats in Saudi Arabia, with the goal of restoring a fully functioning ecosystem before reintroducing the leopard at the top of the food chain.
Kaplan's passion for art is rooted in its ability to evoke beauty and liberate generations of artists. He believes that Rembrandt's legacy lies in how he broke with classical conventions of beauty, finding it in what others considered ugly – what was real. This idea became the theme of his first exhibition in Paris, when the collection was revealed publicly for the first time.
As the Leiden Collection continues to grow and evolve, Kaplan is open to different models for its governance but emphasizes that any framework must ensure the collection's mission is preserved. The long-term future of the collection remains an open question, with several possibilities under consideration.
A lifelong commitment to art and animals, Kaplan has amassed one of the world's most important private collections of Rembrandt and Dutch Golden Age works, comprising over 220 paintings and drawings. The collection, known as the Leiden Collection, is not kept at home but functions like a "lending library," circulating through museum loans and exhibitions worldwide to make them accessible to a broad public.
Kaplan's passion for art was sparked at six years old when his mother took him to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He fell in love with Rembrandt, visiting the Met repeatedly and asking his mother to take him back to see more of his work. This early encounter set the stage for a lifelong commitment to collecting Dutch Golden Age artworks.
Over two decades, Kaplan has acquired about half of the Rembrandts still in private hands, including 17 paintings by the artist. He also owns two Rembrandt drawings, the most important being "Young Lion Resting". The drawing, which carries a high estimate, was purchased by Kaplan and his wife Daphne through a dealer with a painting by Gerrit Dou, another pupil of Rembrandt.
Kaplan's interests extend beyond art to Italian design, particularly the Torinese school and Carlo Mollino. He has made record-breaking purchases, including a Mollino table from 1949, which caught the attention of Bruno Bischofberger, a legendary collector.
The sale of "Young Lion Resting" will not only raise funds for Panthera but also serve as an opportunity to amplify its mission. Kaplan's commitment to wildlife conservation began early, with a childhood encounter that sparked his dream of working in wild cat conservation.
In an exclusive conversation, Kaplan shared insights into his collecting journey, which was influenced by a serendipitous chain of encounters. He recalled how Sir Norman Rosenthal introduced him to the idea of collecting art and helped him acquire his first purchase, a painting by Gerrit Dou.
Throughout our conversation, Kaplan used photographs of majestic Arabian leopards as background, highlighting Panthera's work in conservation across dozens of countries. The organization is currently leading a breeding and reintroduction program for big cats in Saudi Arabia, with the goal of restoring a fully functioning ecosystem before reintroducing the leopard at the top of the food chain.
Kaplan's passion for art is rooted in its ability to evoke beauty and liberate generations of artists. He believes that Rembrandt's legacy lies in how he broke with classical conventions of beauty, finding it in what others considered ugly – what was real. This idea became the theme of his first exhibition in Paris, when the collection was revealed publicly for the first time.
As the Leiden Collection continues to grow and evolve, Kaplan is open to different models for its governance but emphasizes that any framework must ensure the collection's mission is preserved. The long-term future of the collection remains an open question, with several possibilities under consideration.
i mean, who gets to own a masterpiece and then decides to let it go after spending years collecting it? he's basically making a sacrifice for a good cause, which is awesome 
my thing about the leiden collection is that it's like a library or something – it's not just about him having cool art, but also about sharing it with everyone. i can see why he'd be open to different models for governance, though – it's gotta be tough balancing his passion for art with making sure it stays true to its mission 
i've always been fascinated by rembrandt's work and it's crazy to think about how kaplan has amassed such an incredible collection over the years 
and it's not just about the art itself, but also the fact that he's making these works accessible to people all over the world 
can't wait to see what the future holds for the leiden collection 
$20 million is a crazy price for a drawing, right? 
I mean 220 paintings and drawings of Rembrandt? That's some serious dedication 
. The fact that he's making the collection accessible to museums and exhibitions worldwide is awesome too 
I've always loved Rembrandt's work, he's like a master of capturing human emotions and stories. The fact that "Young Lion Resting" has been in Kaplan's collection for years already shows how much value we can place on these pieces 
The idea that art can evoke beauty and liberate generations of artists is something I really appreciate 
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. Not only does this increase access to art, but it also helps to educate people about the importance of conservation efforts 
. Can't wait to see what other amazing things he has up his sleeve 
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and it's so cool that he's using his collection to fund conservation efforts for wild cats 
it's all so inspiring! 
. The fact that his passion for art and animals has led to such incredible conservation work is just wow 
! I mean, 20 million bucks for a Rembrandt drawing? That's crazy talk 
. I wish there were more people out there who thought like Kaplan, where art and conservation go hand in hand 
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, like who else can afford to buy a rembrandt drawing??