Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-07

40-room villa, / Tatti, just OUT
side Florence, and its. superb
collection of art treasures to
Harvard for use as a center for
scholars abroad.
Some of Americas greatest
art collections are monuments
to Mr.. Berenson's scholarship
and taste.
Began as Buyer
He began his career as art
buyer for Mrs. Jack Gardner OF
Boston, assembling the nucleus
of the Fenway Court Collection
she left as a museum.
His biggest influence came as
chief adviser to the late Lord
Duveen, the dealer who as
sembled most big private Amer
lean collections before World
War II. In the process, Mr..
Berenson amassed a comfort
able fortune for himself.
Mr.. Berenson also produced
a succession of books on
Renaissance art which are con-
sidered classics in the field.
Among the most famous are
his first, Venetian Painters of
the Renaissance" published in
1894, and Drawings of the
Florentine Painters"
Villa a Mecca
In his later years his villa at
SettignanS became a mecca fol
the worlds famous, royalty and
commoners. Former President
Truman was among those who
called to pay his respects. Tiny
and fragile, white-bearded and
elegant, Mr.. Berenson was a
witty. charming host to all,
known to everyone as "B. B."
Mr.. Berenson had no use for
preSent-day artists.
Men now seem to think
he said, that all they need tc
do is slap a brushful of paint
across a canvas, give it a fan
ciful title and run to a dealer
TO sell it. That is not art
Where is the technique?"
Mr.. BerenSon came to the
United States as a youth. Not
long after entering Harvard
he drew attention by his writ
ing. After his graduation, a
group of Bostonians contrib
uted $3.50 to send him abroad
for a year of further study.
Mr.. Berenson Immediately
fell in love with Europe, par
ticularly Italy. He made fire.
quent trips to America, es-
pecially after becoming known
as the top authority on Italian
painters of the Renaissance
But always he returned to Italy
During World War II Mr.
Berenson remained in Italy
Friends hid him from the Ger
mans and the Fascists. While
in hiding. he began writing one
! of his last works-"Sketch fol
| a lf-Portrait" - which he
dedicated to his widow.
| He married Mary Logan Co.'S
telloe, daughter of Robert Pear
sail Smith of Philadelphia
December 30. 1900. They had nc
children. She died in 1945.
Boston Nostalgia
Mr.. Berenson revealed in the
Sketch" a strong nostalgia for
Boston. He wrote:
Home, what is it?
1T was only when I left Bos-
/ ton after graduation at Har-
ward that I realized how much
home feeling I attached to that
to me so hospitable, so human,
so highly civilized city. And
ever since, after SIS years, it
remains home although it
knows me not and perhaps
would not claim me if it did"
Mr.. Berenson was ill during
the winter of 1866 but re-
covered. In the spring of 1856,
the University of Florence pre-
sented him with an honorary
doctorate of letters and phi
losophy for his vast and I'M
firing work in the field OF
culture" Because Of his age,
the university's academic SEN
ate broke tradition and came
| to Mr.. Berenson's home to
present the degree.
On May is, 1858, the Amer
lean Academy of Arts and
Sciences named him ar honor
airy member. 1t was one OF
the last of the many honors
which came to him during his
lifetime.