The Cantor Collection traces its origins to 1945 when B. Gerald Cantor (1916-1996) wandered into the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. There he was "touched" by a marble version of Auguste Rodin's The Hand of God. Eighteen months later, Mr. Cantor purchased a bronze version of this sculpture. This was the beginnning of a lifetime of collecting. Together with his wife, Iris, Mr. Cantor built the largest and most comprehensive private collection of works by Auguste Rodin.

Concentrating on quality and significance, the Cantors collected approximately 750 large-and-small-scale sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and memorabilia. As an extension of their collecting zeal and their generous patronage, the Cantors undertook a program to share their art with the public. This mission is now actively promoted by Mrs. Cantor, who serves as Chairman and President of the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. More than 450 works from the Cantor Collection have been given to over seventy museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In addition, the Cantors donated 187 Rodin sculptures to the Stanford University Museum of Art, and established the Rodin Research Fund at Stanford University to enable Ph.D. candidates to conduct research and travel abroad. The Foundation also circulates traveling exhibitions on Rodin that have been seen in more than 140 venues across the globe.