Evening star., 1939-07-13
Samuel Kress Gives
Noted Art Collection
To National Gallery
Greatest Privute HOLDING
Of Italian Masters Is
Valued at $30,000,0 900
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

tablished by the late Andrew w.
Mellon Secretary of the Treasury in
the administrations of Presidents
Harding, Coolidge and Hoover.
Samuel H. Kress Of New York,
chain store magnate, is the donor.
The story of his benefaction Is told
in a letter which he addressed to
President Roosevelt on July l, the
text of the communication reading
in part as follows: Recalling the
interest which you expressed in art
in our country when called on you
several years ago, am writing to
inform you, regretting that I can
not do so personally, that I am ar
ranging to give to the National
Gallery of Art in Washington for its
official opening, my collection Of
italian paintings and sculpture,
which conclusion arrived at after
various conversations with repre-
sentatives of the gallery for over
year.
This will require the removal Of
practically all the paintings from
my home, making, of course, a
great change there, but I feel that
any loss in that way will be COM
pensated by the knowledge that my
collection Of Italian paintings and
sculpture, into which I have put
much time and great investment,
will have found a permanent home"
Formal Letter to Board.
Mr.. Kress furnished the Presi-
dent with a copy of his formal
letter to the Board Of Trustees Of
the gallery, saying: "Oyer a period
of many years, have quietly &C
quired collection of paintings and
sculpture, particularly works of art
representative of the italian school,
with the object OF some day donat-
ing my collection to the public for
exhibition and study in our coun-
try. Besides bringing from Europe
as many as could, have made
great effort to keep in this country
paintings and sculpture that would
otherwise very probably have been
returned to Europe and have become
permanently part of the great Eu-
ropean galleries. I have done this
in order that my Italian collection
might include as many works as
possible of the great Italian masters.
"The collection includes important
works Of many Of the outstanding
masters of the Italian school, such
as Giotto, Duccio, Simone Martini,
Sassetta, Matteo di Giovanni, Ner-
roccio, Fra Angelica, Masolino. Peru
gino, Filippo Lippi, Piero di Cosimo,
Ghirlandaio. Gentle da Fabriano,
Cossa, Mantegna, Giovanni Bellini,
Giorgione, Titan, Tintoretto and
others; also, sculpture by Desiderio
da Settignano, Luca and Andrea
della Robbia, Verrocchio, Rossellino,
Benedetto da Maiano. Amadeo, San
sovino and others.
Il have followed with interest the
establishment of the National CAL
lery of Art in Washington and the
construction of the great ediflce
there to house the Nations works
OF art. have also noted with pleas
ure the Nationwide interest ex-
hibited in this gallery, established
by the late Andrew w. Mellon and
dedicated to the encouragement and
development of the study of the
fine arts.
Presented for Opening.
Because the gallery and the
works Of art which it will contain
will be for the benefit of all the
people Of the United States and
will be accessible to so many citi-
zens Of this and other countries
visiting our National Capital, it
seems most suitable that others
should contribute to the collection
being formed there; and it is my
wish, therefore, that the works of
art which I have acquired should
become part of the National Gallery
collection and be exhibited in the
gallery now being erected in WASH
ington. Realizing what 1t would
mean to the gallery at its opening,
I decided some months ago that If
the arrangements of the gift were
satisfactory I would give up the
pleasure of having possession of the
collection in my home, and arrange
to consummate the gift so that
rooms may be prepared for the plac-
ing of the objects of art for the
opening Of the gallery"
In his acknowledgment of Mr..
kress' letter, President Roosevelt
said: Your decision to present
to the people Of the United States
your priceless art collection is in
keeping with the broad spirit of the
Congress in establishing the Ma
tional Gallery Of Art, primarily as
the home Of the Mellon collection.
1t has been the hope of those who
have the welfare of the National
Gallery at heart that other private
gifts would supplement the treas
ures included in Mr.. Melons COL
lection.
Il am, therefore, most grateful
for your letter of July l, in which
you embody a letter to the Board
of Trustees of the National Gal
lery of Art, setting forth the gen.
erous terms of your proposed gift.
Not only are the treasures you plan
to bestow on the Nation incalcu-
liable in value and in interest, but |
in their bestowal you are giving
an example which may we'll be
followed by others of our country
men, who have in their stewardship |
art treasures, which also happily
might find home in the National
Gallery.
Il feel that your proposed dona-
ton Is decided step in the realiza-
ton of the true purpose of the Ma
tional Gallery"
Bruce Announces Gift.
Announcement of the gift was
made today by David K. E. Bruce,
president of the Board of Trustees
of the National Gallery. Mr.. Kress,
1t was explained, is on board the
S. S. Europa en- route to Europe.
He left to the board the privilege
of explaining the significance of
his philanthropy, and Mr.. Bruce,
speaking for his fellow trustees, de-
clared: "Art critics who have seen
the Kress collection write in praise,