Evening star., 1942-09-06
Art
National Gallery
Soon to Acquire
Widener Collection
BY Florence S. Berryman.

IlE w luEll6I 1ilSt6AAo
ton in the National Gallery wal
brought nearer to realization las
Thursday when the President signee
q resolution authorizing appropria'
ton of the sum OF $195,0o0 to NEE
a Pennsylvania State tax of pei
cent of the present value of the col.
lection (Which the Treasury De-
partment ascertained is $4,000, ,000)
thus revealing the formal offer BY
Joseph E. Widener of the magni-
ficent collection assembled by his
father, Peter A. B. Widener.
The latter's will authorized his
son to make the gift on condition
that it would not result in the pay
ment of any inheritance tax by the
Widener estate. A description of the
collection was given in The Star
August 81. The United States Sen
ate on August Is voted approval of
the Widener art bill, which was
passed by the House on August 27
thus enabling the National Gallery
to accept the gift.
1t may be of interest now to
review briefly certain aspects of
the gift. That this renowned COL
lection was destined for the Nation
has been known for some time. On
October IT, 1910, Mr. Widener an
nounced that it would eventually 60
to the new National Gallery. Beauti-
fully housed in the Widener home,
LynneWood Hall, Elkins Park, near
Philadelphia, the collection was
valued at various sums from $12, ,o00,-
600 to $50,000,000 It's original cost
was around s18,500,0o0. Of this
sum, half million had been given
for one painting by Rembrandt,
'fT'fe Mill which the late DR.. Will
helm Bode, noted authority on
Dutch art. described enthusiastic
cally as "the greatest painting by
any artist" The collection was ex-
tensively reviewed on this page In
November, 1910.
In addition to the superb quality
Of the collection, it has the merit of
admirably supplementing the Mellon
and kress collections. The entire
original Kress gift of 375 paintings
and Is sculptures comprises italian
Renaissance works, while so of 126
paintings in the original Mellon gift,
and some of the sculpture belong
to the same school. Consequently,
when the National Gallery was
opened, approximately flye-siXths of
Its paintings and sculpture were
Italian Generous gifts and loans
to the gallery in the past Is months
have enlarged the proportion of
non-Italian paintings. But the
Widener collection of more than 100
paintings (not to mention sculpture
and decorative arts will bring to
the National Gallery a magnificent
group of Dutch works, including Ia
by Rembrandt, a number of excel
lent 18th century British portraits,
outstanding Flemish (among them
nine by Van Dyck) and Spanish
masterpieces and a few 10Th CEN
tury French. There are also sew
eral Italian Renaissance gems. But
1t can easily be seen how the Widener
paintings will increase the National
Gallery's northern schools quanti-
tative as well as qualitative i'm
portance.
Five weeks before the National
Gallery opened, a bill was intro
duced (February IL, 194D In the
Pennsylvania Legislature which
aimed to exempt all private collec-
tions given to the Federal Govern
rnent from the States 10 per cent
transfer tax. but this bill was ia
bled. Although the Widener COL
lection was not mentioned, the bill
caused some speculation as to
whether 1t had any connection with
the unspecified date of presentation
of the Widener treasures to the
Nation. There was considerable
comment in the States press con-
corning the Importance of this tax
In keeping Pennsylvania art treas
ures at home.
After the Presidents message to
Congress two weeks ago about the
Widener art bill, the State of Penn
sylvania announced that 1t would
make its own appraisal of the col
lection to decide the inheritance
taxes that must be paid before the
gift Is transferred. The counsel
for Pennsylvania department of
revenue said that If Mr.. Widenei
or the National Gallery disagree
with the States estimate the case
might be taken to court. Hence il
seems there are several hurdles tc
be taken before Washington can see
the Widener art treasures.
While rejoicing that Mellon and
Widener were national-minded, one
can understand Pennsylvania de-
preston over the loss of their in
comparable collections. Art lovers oi
the keystone State doubtless con-
template a number of other great
private collections which the own.
ers beoueathed or gave to their ma
tive cities or States: The Isabella
Stewart Gardner collection in Bos.
ton, the Henry Clay Prick, Jules S
Bache and Pierpont Morgan collec'
tions to New York City (all with
their own homes to mention but {
few. Yet still another private Penn
sylvania collection (the John How
ard McFadden) almost became
national possession; longtime res
tdents of Washington will recall tina
1t hung for some years in the Ma
tional Museum. Pennsylvania got
back by complying with certain
conditions before a specified date.
However, the State has many out
standing collections in the Phila
delphia Museum, Pennsylvanl
Academy of Fine Arts, Carnegie In
stitute, Pittsburgh, and elsewher'
and a number still In private hand
At time passes, Pennsylvanians wi
doubtless take pride that the
greatest collectors thought of tn
whole Nation rather than of sin
gle city.
Film.Lecfares at the
National Gallery.
The National Gallery offers II
this month an additional feature