AMERICA'S PURCHASES OF WORKS OF ART
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,7—Americans have perforce become accustomed to com- plaints anent their purchase of works of art from impecunious European owners. Such laments have been made for years ; long before the War our "rapacity" was bewailed in England and elsewhere. But to find our friend the Spectator, in a recent number (September 17th, p.407), repeat the plaint and then proceed to place the necessity for the sale of English works of art on the already over-burdened War Debt situation, is in the nature of a last straw ! As I said before, the corn- plaints began long before the War or War Debts were in question. May I, however, ask three questions ?
. How were the foreign (Le.; not indigenous) works of art amassed that make, your National Gallery the incomparable collection it is ?•--,-not to mention the British Museum. Of course, such a vast accumulation must of necessity have been gathered in various ways : ownership from the beginning, gifts and inheritance from continental connexions, and so on. But unquestionably most of the glorious altar pieces and por- traits of foreign notables were originally housed in churches and palaces on the Continent. And does not their possession by English owners show that the pictures, &c., have conic to England because their former possessors" succumbed, at some time, to the lure of English gold ?
Furthermore, one of the joys of return to the National Gallery is to find there new treasures " acquired " (not given or bequeathed) since one's _last visit. Last summer I noted
with pleasure • several pictures that had been " acquired " since the War, and I was glad to learn that in spite of what we are told, England still has money to make such purchases.
What puzzles us Americans, however, is this : England has been acquiring famous. foreign works, of art for scores of .years—one might almost. say for Centuries—and still con- tinues to do so. Therefore, what just ground for grievance have Englishmen against Americans when we follow so illustrious an example ?—I am, Sir, &e., AN AMERICAN LOVER Oh' ENGLAND AND FAIR PLAY.
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