Malcove Collection

Over the course of 50 years, Dr. Lillian Malcove (1902-1981) developed a collection of over 500 objects, comprised of paintings, drawings, furniture, icons, manuscripts, and textiles, as well as sculptural objects in a diversity of materials that reflect her varied interests and prodigious knowledge. Spanning a vast range of art history, from prehistory to the 20th century, the strengths of the Collection are Early Christian, Byzantine and Post Byzantine objects. Dr. Malcove bequeathed her magnificent collection along with a major endowment, which supports the permanent display of the Collection, to the University of Toronto in 1981 to serve as a useful and inspiring resource for students, faculty and the general public. In 2002, a generous donation by Dr. John Foreman of London, Ontario, added 55 Greek and Russian icons dating from the 16th to 20th centuries to the Malcove Collection. This gift makes the Malcove Collection one of the most important and invaluable resources for students and experts conducting research on Byzantine icons and iconography in Canada..

Image: Lucas Cranach (The Elder) (German, 1472-1553), Adam and Eve, 1538. Oil on panel. Gift of Dr. Lillian Malcove. M82.147.