Herbert Lust, Serendipitous Collector of Art and Friendships, Dies at 99

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Herbert Confield Lust, a prominent American art collector and patron known for his extensive collection of modern and surrealist works, died at age 99 in Greenwich, Connecticut. His influence extended beyond collecting, as he fostered close relationships with artists like Alberto Giacometti and Ed Ruscha and contributed scholarly works that helped shape the appreciation of 20th-century art.

Herbert Confield Lust, an American art collector known for his eclectic and influential assemblage of modern and surrealist works, died on May 12 at his home in Greenwich, Connecticut. He was 99. The executor of his estate, Michael Feldschuh, confirmed his passing.

Born on October 31, 1926, in Chicago, Lust grew up on a farm in Flower, Indiana, after his family relocated there during his childhood. Following the death of his father in a car accident when Herbert was nine, his mother supported the family as a stenographer. Lust served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and credited a literature course during officer training with igniting his appreciation for artistic beauty.

Lust’s entry into the art world began in Paris in 1949 while he was a Fulbright scholar studying comparative literature at the Sorbonne. At a luncheon filled with prominent artists and intellectuals, a fabricated story about fleeing the Nazis on foot across the Carpathian Mountains prompted a friendship with the renowned sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti. This meeting catalyzed a decades-long relationship with Giacometti and inspired Lust’s passion for collecting.

Initially indifferent to art, Lust admitted he had little respect for it and regarded it merely as decoration. Over time, through exposure and study, he cultivated a deep appreciation, eventually forming close ties with other significant artists such as Alexander Calder, Mark Rothko, Hans Bellmer, and Ed Ruscha, among others. His collection grew to include some of the largest holdings of Bellmer’s work, as well as significant pieces by Giacometti and Calder.

After returning to the United States, Lust transitioned from teaching literature to a career in banking in 1957, which provided the financial means to expand his collecting. Nonetheless, Lust maintained a personal rapport with many artists, often supporting them during difficult periods. Notably, he encouraged Ed Ruscha during a turbulent phase when Ruscha’s gallery closed in 1975.

Lust was also a published writer and scholar of art, producing exhibition catalogs and reference works, including a 1970 compilation titled "Giacometti: The Complete Graphics." He and his third wife, Virginia Wertheimer, whom he married in 1963, operated the Virginia Lust Gallery in Lower Manhattan during the 1980s and 1990s, showcasing contemporary artists such as Frank Stella and Joel-Peter Witkin.

Mr. Lust is survived by his son, Herbert Lust III, and 10 grandchildren. Another son, Conrad, died earlier in 2024. Known for his wit and unconventional approach to the art world, Lust remained an active figure in art circles well into his later years, often recognized by a distinctive gold medallion crafted by Giacometti.

His legacy is marked not only by his notable collection but also by the relationships he fostered throughout a lifetime devoted to art and culture.

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