David Nahmad – Legendary Collector and Guardian of Art

Published in Unique Estates Life Summer 2025

There are personalities in the world of art who shape cultural history. One such figure is David Nahmad – a legendary collector, visionary, and guardian of aesthetic memory, whose family has played a key role on the international art market for more than five decades.

Text and photography: Simona Krusteva

David Nahmad began his journey as a teenager, purchasing his first painting – a Renoir canvas, paid in installments – at just 17 years old. Born into a family of art dealers, he and his brother Joe Nahmad have had a decisive role in shaping today’s global art market. The Nahmad family is associated not only with the most prestigious auctions in London, Paris, New York, and Geneva, but also with some of the most significant private donations to major museums worldwide. With over 5,000 works, the Nahmad collection is one of the most influential in the world. It includes names such as Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Cézanne, Mark Rothko, Van Gogh, Giacometti, Joan Miró, and Braque. Picasso’s works alone exceed 300, making it the largest private collection of Picasso in the world.

I met David through mutual friends, and for more than a year now I have been working with him on some of his latest projects. This collaboration has allowed me to know him not only as a collector of undeniable influence, but also as a deeply sensitive person – with intelligence, dedication, and a philosophy of art that transcends boundaries. Among the recent major cultural events he took part in is the exhibition The Nahmad Collection: From Monet to Picasso at the Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny. The exhibition presented more than 60 works by emblematic artists, tracing the development from Impressionism to Cubism and Modernism, creating a dialogue between eras, styles, and perspectives.