PICTURES ON LOAN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22352, 25 February 1936, Page 11

PICTURES ON LOAN

THE EMPIRE SCHEME / THREE MORE COLLECTIONS NEXT DUE IN JUNE British art from William Efogarth (1697-1764) to the present day will be represented in the collection of over 60 notable pictures from the National and Tate Galleries which is to be sent to New Zealand this year by the Empire Art Loan Collections Society. The pictures will be despatched from London in time to be bung in the National Art Gallery, Wellington, when it is opened in June, and will be shown in Auckland later. The first loan collection, which tonrcd New Zealand and Australia in 1934 and 1935, aroused so much interest and the cost to the participating galleries proved in the end to be so moderate that the society has been encouraged to send another with as little delay as possible. On its return to London the original collection was shpwn in the Tate Gallery. It attracted large crowds and press comments upon it were most complimentary. Recently legislation was passed by the British Parliament removing the statutory ban which had long prevented works in the national collections from being sent out of Britain on loan. This legal restriction had compelled the Art Loan Collections Society to rely at first upon the generosity of municipal galleries, art societies and private owners. When the ban was lifted, Mr. J. B. Manson, director of the Tate Gallery, set to work upon the choice of a second collection for New Zealand and Australia. This is believed to be almost complete, and it is possible that gaps, if any, will be filled outside. Considering the great resources of the National and Tate Galleries, it may be expected that the collection will be of very high | quality. ! The arrangements for sending out the collections were expedited by discussions held some months ago in London between officials of the society and Sir George Shirtcliffe and Mr. D. A. Ewen, on behalf of the New Zealand Academy V of Fine Arts and the trustees of the : National Art Gallery. y | The society hopes to send two further ! collections on tour, one early next year and the other about nine months later. One of these is the Harvey Collection |of paintings by Dutch and Flemish masters, mostly of the seventeenth century. This collection, comprising 53 works, was vested in 1917 by the late Mr? William Harvey, of Leeds, in trustees for loan to provincial galleries in the United Kingdom and to other institutions throughout the British Empire. It has already been exhibited in 60 provincial towns in Britain and has been on a year's tour of Canada. The other proposed loan collection will consist of drawings from Punch and works owned by the Contemporary Art Society.