Heinz Berggruen (1914-2007) was born to a Jewish family in Berlin and sought refuge in California at the outbreak of WWII. At the end of the war Berggruen returned to Europe, first to his native country as a journalist, and then to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. He gradually made his way into the art market: first with a small gallery on Place Dauphine, and later on Rue de l’Université, specializing in modern graphic art. He met not just artists but also most of the key art dealers, historians, poets, critics and collectors of the post-war period.

Guided by his superb taste he built up an extraordinary and intimate personal collection of 20th century works from his two favorite masters, Picasso and Paul Klee, but also Matisse and Alberto Giacometti. Berggruen donated his collection to the German state in 2000, a few years before his death. The heart of the collection is on exhibition in Paris before the Berggruen museum in Berlin completes its renovations next year.