Robin Williams in Good Morning, Vietnam, 1987

I’m not sure about you, but I still can’t quite believe the very sad news about Robin Williams announced ten days ago. His public life was definitely an art form, that’s for sure. In addition, Williams’ career occasionally collided in unexpected ways with paintings by famous artists.

Robin Williams in Patch Adams, 1989

Here’s more on that topic from Artnet.com: Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1951. He studied at the Juilliard School in New York and first came to fame playing an extraterrestrial character in the 1970s TV show Mork and Mindy. He is now best-known for his roles in films such as Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), and the genie’s voice in Disney’s animated blockbuster movie Aladdin (1992).

Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, 1989

Complications around this production considerably damaged his relationship with Disney, which led the studio to give Williams a painting by Pablo Picasso estimated at the time at $1 million. The comedian, who by then had three children, had agreed to play the genie on the understanding that his voice wouldn’t be used to sell merchandizing. His role in Aladdin was to be small, and he agreed to be paid $75,000 instead of his usual fee of around $8 million.

Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire, 1993

Once in the studio, he took to his role with so much gusto, improvising all the way, that Disney fleshed out the genie, which became a lynchpin of the entire movie. Aladdin went on to gross over $200 million. The comedian claimed that the studio also used his voice in advertising. “It wasn’t as if we hadn’t set it out,” Williams told New York magazine in 1993. “I don’t want to sell stuff … It’s one thing I don’t do … The voice, that’s me; I gave them my self. When it happened, I said: ‘You know I don’t do that.’ And they apologized; they said it was done by other people.”

Robin Williams in The Birdcage, 1996

Disney then sent the Picasso painting, a self-portrait of the artist as Vincent van Gogh. It didn’t go down well. According to New York magazine: “In the Williams living room, the painting has all the charm of a fright wig, clashing with the animal cages, the children’s furniture, and the mood of the owners.” Friend and fellow actor Eric Idle even suggested that Williams went on TV and burn the Picasso live as a form of protest.

Robin Williams and Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, 1997

If the Picasso wasn’t to his liking, the actor was nonetheless a visual art champion. In 2006, he was part of a group of donors who helped secure from the Polish Ministry of Culture the permanent loan of an installation by artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, now displayed at Grant Park in Chicago.

Robin Williams in Mork & Mindy, 1978–82

“On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief,” said the actor’s wife, Susan Schneider, in a statement. “As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.”