winthrop bequeathed his art collection to the fogg art museum at his alma mater, harvard university. his will had a clause whereby the museum could only lend his artwork to other museums if they donated us$100,000 to the foundling hospital in new york city. in the early 2000s, as inflation meant that the sum was less colossal than in 1937, the university decided to donated the sum to the hospital and plan a worldwide exhibition. by 2003-2004, his entire art collection was exhibited at the musée des beaux-arts de lyon in france, followed by the national gallery in london, the metropolitan museum of art in new york city, and the national gallery of art in washington, d.c. the exhibit was called "a private passion: 19th-century paintings and drawings from the grenville l winthrop collection, harvard university."