Evening star., 1925-12-25
ART WORLD CENTER
SHIFTS TO AMERICA
Demand Brings Famous Eu-
Iopean Collections to
U. S. SaIeSrOomS.
b. the Associated Press


NEW YORK, December 25.-The
American art collector and buyer who
formerly went to foreign countries to
do his shopping this year will have
left between ten and twelve million
dollars as tribute to New York'S en-
hanced reputation as an art center.
The number of foreign collections
brought to the United States this year.
together with an increas sed sale of do
mestic gatherings. is evidence to deal
ers here Of a new assumption by
Americans in world art affairs.
While love for beautiful things has
become more pronounced in America.
local gallery officials are mindful that
one of the chief factors of growth is
the unsettled financial condition in
Europe and the general prosperity
here.
Tax Reductions Influence.
A representative of the American
Art Galleries said the income tax re-
ductions also was al influence.
az have had numerous persons ask
me to again place their names on our
catalogue lists. explaining that the in
come tax had been taking money
which they once had spent on art"
Another dealer pointed out how
closely the pulse of Wall Street is felt
in Art Row. When prosperity is hav-
ing its sway on the Street, art sales
are heavy. When depression spreads
gloom among the brokers, nearly al
ways there is a drop in sales.
The excellent condition of the art
market has resulted in many fine and
large collections being offered for
sale which had been withheld because
of reluctance to sacrifice them.
Sale of Foreign Collections.
As for sending foreign collections to
New York for disposition. the opinion
prevails here that this is only natural,
because of the large number of Amer
leans who for many years have fire.
quented the galleries of London and
Paris during auctions. 1t is a case of
placing the objects nearer the best
purchasers.
These collections, however, are not
being given up without protest. Wit
ness the Achillito Chiesa gathering of
Flemish and Dutch paintings and Ital-
ian primitiveS, part Of which recently
was sold by the American Art Gal
leries for S123 3.160, and the Leverhulme
assortment of furniture, pictures.
chinaware and other objects to be auc-
toned by the Anderson Galleries early
next year.
When financial embarrassment made
ii necessary for ChieSa to sell the OBJ
jects the Italian government sought a
way to preserve the collection.
After the sale was decided upon the
government exercised its legal right
and inventoried certain paintings and
objects as national treasures. But it
was not in funds to make the pur-
chi.ses and neither were Italian col.
leCtors..
Art Follows Money
Mitchell Kennerly of the Anderson
Galleries made special trip to Lon
don to obtain the Leverhulme collec-
tior. and his success brought disap-
pointment to the English dealers and
the following remark from one of
them:
The real reason the Leverhulme
treasures are going to America is be-
cause just now she has the money to
spend and an Unsuitable appetite for
acquiring the Old Worlds famed art
treasures.
Immediately following this acquisi-
ton came the announcement that
Warwick Priory, "a sixteenth century
la ndmark. had been purchased by an
American for shipment and re-erection
in Virginia as a reproduction of Sui
grave Manor. home of Washington's
d1lccSIOTS III ~ >OrIDdInptOnShlfe.
Whereupon the London Daily Mail
remarked:
I'VE cannot prevent Americans
from acquiring our famous pictures.
our old furniture and rare books, but
when it comes to pulling down an
cient and beautiful buildings, which
are the bony skeletons of history and
the eloquent reminders of our great
past, it is time to cry hands off Eng
land without her historic remains
would not be England, while these
same remains transplanted to America
would lose all their meaning and ro-
nance"
Some Of the outstanding sales here
curing the year We're the Henry Grif-
nth keasbey collection of European
arms and armor, which brought $105.-
610; the Joseph Dabissi collection Of
italian and Spanish furniture, Ma jol-
lea, glass, terra cottas and textiles
for $6S,849; the Remsen- Walker How
and-MacNeill-Read collections of Eng
l1sh, French and Italian furnitures.
rugs and other objects for S123,4O4: an
early American furniture assortment,
belonging to Jacob Margoli. for $79.-
600, and the Isaac Guggenheim col
lection of tapestries, which brought a
large sum-