Old Masters from Russia The Soviet Government cannot be accused
of " dump- ing " in its decision to export the treasures of the Hermitage. According to the Daily Telegraph it has sold a score of the most famous masterpieces in the collection founded by Catherine II to Mr. Andrew Mellon, the Secretary of the United States Treasury for the sum of £1,600,000. These include Jan van Eyek's " Annun- ciation, "• Rembrandt's " Polish Nobleman," one of Rubens' portraits of his second wife, Helene Founuent; Van Dyck's " Philip, Lord Wharton," Raphael's " The Madonna and St. Joseph " and Velazquez' " Pius X." All these are well known through photographs to students, and some of them have been lent to European exhibitions. But they will assuredly be novel and welcome accessions to the fine collection which Mr. Mellon has formed and from which he has lent freely to public galleries both in America and in England. The Communists, busy in creating a new machine civilization, will probably not miss these achievements of the old culture that they despise. We should be deeply grateful to Mr. Mellon if he would allow them to be seen here on their way to America.
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