Evening star., 1935-02-19
Gift Designed to Make Capt.
tai Eclipse London
and Paris.
PAINTINGS BY RAPHAEL
AND OTHERS ACQUIRED
Some of Worlds Most Famous
Pictures Already in Collection
Destined for Washington.

A monumental gallery Of art, repre-
senting a total investment of approx
mately S5O,00OOOO is to be estab-
lished in Washington. A gift to the
Nation from Andrew w. Mellon, the
gallery will be built around a nucleus
of about $l9,00O,0O0 worth of pictures
now owned or marked for purchase by
the Pittsburgh millionaire. When
completed. the institution is expected
to make the Capital a cultural center
outranking either London or Paris.
Announcement Of these plans was
made yesterday by Frank J. Hogan,
Washington attorney, during his
argument in court in Pittsburgh that
Mr.. Mellon should have been permitted
some deductions in his income tax
statement for the $3,241.2 $50 which he
paid in 1881 for five pictures bought
from the famous Hermitage collec-
ton in Leningrad.
Mr.. Mellon, in statement to The
Star this morning declared that he
is not intending memorial for him.
self. The gallery. he said, will not
bear his name nor will it be solely
for his pictures. Other donors, he
hopes, will present paintings worthy
Of the collection.
Famous Paintings.
Six pictures were designated yes
terday as destined for the Washington
gallery, the Associated Press reports.
They are:
Raphael's Madonna Alba" costing
S1.l00.000; Titian's Toilet of Venus;
Perugino's "Crucifxion," showing the
Virgin, ST. John. the Magdalene and
ST. Jerome; Jan van Eyck's An
nunciation"; Botticellis Alteration
of the Magi," and "Cowper Madon-
na," also by Raphael. Art experts
said the six are among the best held
in America and that no gallery in
Europe holds a finer assembly Of such
masterpieces. Their value is eSti-
mated in excess of $l0,000,000.
Others are to be included in Mr..
MELONS gift to the Nation, 1t was
said, but their identity may not be
known for several months.
Mr.. Melons plan has been an
open secret in the Capital for several
years. but publicity concerning it was
withheld at his request. The donor
still was buying pictures for his col
lection and believed that any dis
closure of his name would have the
effect of booming the market" to
his disadvantage and to the detriment
of his purpose.
Building to Be Erected.
Even now the whole plan has not
been disclosed. In brief outline it
is understood to include: Funds for
the erection, decoration and equip
ment of a monumental building to
house the pictures already accumu-
lated and still to be acquired; funds
for the purchase of paintings ear
marked" by Mr.. Mellon for acquisi-
ton, and funds for use in further
buying in years to come and for
the enlargement of the building, If or
when necessary.
Some Of the old masters specified
by Mr.. Mellon in his gift are stored
in Washington and some are in Pitts
burgh. All will be assembled in a
structure to be built under the donor S
supervision on a site to be selected.
No architect has been engaged to
date, but Mr.. Mellon is reported to
have discussed designs informally with
several different men whose names are
associated with other works of archi-
tectural art in Washington.
The Smithsonian Institution, prob
ably, will be official custodianS of the
entire gift. Mr.. Mellon has indicated
as much to DR.. Charles G. Abbot,
secretary, and to others. But an ad-
visory board or council may be Or
ganized to aid the Smithsonian re-
gents in the selection of further pic
lures for the collection.
Mr.. Mellon does not wish his presen-
tation to affect the plan, first devel-
oped by the late DR.. William H.
Holmes, for a National Gallery of
Art to be built and maintained by the
Government. His gift, as he sees it.
supplements but does not take the
place of that project. Nothing should
be permitted to interfere with the
National Gallery proposal, he believes.
c. Powell Minnigerode, director,
Corcoran Gallery of Art, when asked
for statement, said: "a notable COL
lection of great masterpieces assem-
bled over a long term of years by Mr..
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