DOLLARS AND ART.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1912, Page 4

DOLLARS AND ART.

AMERICA'S PURCHASES. ' ' PR. BOD^S^OPINIONS. '."New York, the world's greatest art centre.' "America has the World's famous masterpieces. EurcpVs art treasures all bound for the United States. European nobles yield to the lure of American millionaires." Dr. Bode, the famous German art connoisseur .and Chief Director of Museuma at Berlin, has been visiting tlie United States recently, ,and these headlines, culled at random from the Transatlantic Preae, trace their origin to the interviews he has given, or, lather, to the rash interpretations placed ; upon them by patriotic editors, who sel* doin lilies a chauoa of appealing to tho I patriotic pride of their readers. Before Dr. Bode embarked for home (writes the i London. Telegraph'^ New York correspondent) I asked him whether, from the standpoint of European art, things Were really so dismal as pictured, and he replied, as I expected, that the aforesaid interpretations wire "simply stupid/ He did not disguise, what everybody know's, that American dollars are proving an irresistible bait to many European owners, but he affirmed that the balance of power in art treasures must remain, if not for ever, at least for many generations, on your side of the Atlantic. j Dr. Bode has studied the question of art imports v&ty carefully, and concludes thafe 'while' Europe retains her' national gallftriesj America 'must always, 'iiii the national •' sense, lack the artistic'advantages of your side. "Your" National Gallery in London alone," he says, "is bigger and more important than all ' the pictures in America, and, as regards the early- Flemish and early Italian schools, the Kaiser Frederick Museum, in Berlin, will Jretaim the finish example*." MILLIONAIRE BUYERS. While admitting that private collections of great value in England are most numerous, Dr. Bode emphasises that the proprietors aro continually selling to America, and, as a result of his recent investigations, he declares that individual private collections in America are now unsurpassed in value. In ten or twenty years, he estimates, America will have the finest collection of Rembrandts in. the world, with the exception of the Hermitage Gallery at St. Petersburg. Dr. Bode points out that Mr. Altmann, of New York, has twelve noble Rembrandt*,. Mr. .Widener, of Philadelphia, ten, Mrs. Havemeyer, of New York, ten, and Mr. Henry Frick five or six. He is confident that) these Reinbrandts will ultimately enrich the Musuem of Art in New York. The^y make their owners famous during their lifetime, and will perpetuate their memories as national benefactors after death. Dr. Bode is greatly impressed by the growing ascendency of- American private collectors. He mentioned as a typical case two ladies in Cincinnati who commenced a gallery by buying a first-rate Remhrandt for £40^000, and a couple of Vandykes for similar amounts, and another example of equally rich private enterprise in Detroit. In view of the! prices paid, it is hardly possible, he thinks, to stem the tide of art treasures now flowing from Europe unless' each country adopts a system of protection. He does nob favour the Italian lavrs, which he,, describes as crazy in their restrictiveness, but thinks that much might be done if a plan proposed in England is followed.- This plan provides for an inventory to be made of all works of art which shall not be allowed to leave the country until the Government has had s, chance of bidding for them. It is eighteen years' since Dr. Bode lnsfc visited America, and he finds nothing but change and progress on all sides. He reluctantly confesses that he has not seen much trace of a distinctly "American school of art," b«i> pays generous tribute to the new Public Library and the Pennsylvania Railway Station, two magnificent buildings now adorning the American metropolis.