Evening star., 1944-10-30
National Art Gallery
Gets Rare Collection
From ). H. Kress

Samuel H. Kress of New York
has given a large new collection of
rare Italian art, including some of
the greatest masterpieces of paint
ing and sculpture in America, to the
National Gallery of Art, 1t was an
nounced today by David E. Finley
gallery director.
Among the world-famous works
in the gift are Raphael's painting
"Bindo Altoviti;" the Domenico
Veneziano Saint John in the Des-
ert," the bust of Lorenzo the Mag
nificent," by Verrocchio, and the
marble busts of the Christ Child >
by Desiderio da Settignano, and the
youthful st. john" by Antonio
Rossellino, said to be two of the
most important pieces of sculture
to leave Italy in recent years.
More than 80 paintings and
pieces of sculpture make up the
new donation by Mr.. Kress and the
Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The
gain makes the National Gallery's
Italian art collection one of the
most comprehensive in the world,
rivaled only by the four leading
European collections in Florence,
London, Paris and Berlin, it was
said at the gallery.
Some Here Previously.
some OF these works, previously
on loan to the gallery, were evacu-
ated from Washington with the
start OF the war, but they now have
been returned and will be placed on
exhibition soon, as will the others
of Mr.. Kress' contribution.
The present gift is the third large
Kress donation to the National Gal
lery, and will augment the collec-
ton of italian paintings presented
at the time of the institutions OPEN
ing. The second donation was q
notable series of French 18th CEN
tury paintings.
The gift includes Botticelli's Ma.
donna and Child: Bonfigil's Ma
donna and Child Enthroned";; Bar
onzio's Madonna and Child with
Angels; a Madonna" by Giovanni
Bellini, a Coronation of the Virgin
by Filipino Lippi and an "Annun-
citation" by Fra Filippo Lippi.
The only work in America o.
Melozzo da Forli, whose paintings
of music-making angels in the Va
tican are we'll known to tourists
is represented in the donation by
two panels of the same subject.
OF = Later Period.
OF later period there is Dossc
Dossi's "Circe and Her Lovers in q
Landscape" and a view of the "Ex-
terror of the Pantheon" by Panini
which will form a pendant to the
Interior of the Pantheon" by the
same artist, already donated by Mr.
Kress.
The works of sculpture in the
donation bring the representation of
Florentine Renaissance sculpture ir
the gallery to a place among the
four or five greatest collections In
the world, gallery officials declared
Mr.. Walker described as par.
ticularly noteworthy Ghiberti's re-
lief of the Madonna" in painted
terra Gotta, once in Santo Spirito
Florence, and the earliest, piece OF
Florentine sculpture in the new
collection; Benedetto's marble ton.
do. Madonna and Child" and Ver-
rocchio's monumental bust of 10.
renzo the Magnificent" The gallery
already possesses Verrocchio's 5ust
of "Giuliano de- Medici," younger
brother of Lorenzo.
The gift brings about the re-
uniting in America of the two
marble busts from the Vanchetoni
chapel in Florence, Desiderio's
Christ Child" and Rossellino's
"Giovannino."
Other notable pieces are the
Saint John" by Donatello; the
marble bust of Saint Catherine
of Siena" ascribed to Mino ds
Fiesole; Bust of a Warrior" by
Antonio Pollaiuolo, and Portrait
of Florentine Statesman" by Ben
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