Leonard Lauder‘s magnificent gift of a collection of Cubist masterpieces to the Metropolitan Museum of Art got front page treatment in the Times this morning. But the most interesting tid-bit was contained in the New York Post’s piece on the donation (which includes the Picasso at right). It quotes Lauder saying “This is a gift to the people who live and work in New York and those from around the world who come to visit our great art institutions.” That recognition–that the museum’s art is held in trust for the people of New York–is far too often forgotten or ignored by those who care more for the tender sensibilities of the Met’s ruling elite than they do for the rest of us. So thanks for the gift, Leonard. I’m just one New Yorker, but I know I’m not alone in my appreciation of your extraordinary generosity.