ITALIAN ART TREASURES

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1929, Page 9

ITALIAN ART TREASURES

LONDON’S COMING EXHIBITION. World-wide interest is being taken in the great exhibition of Italian art to be held at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, from January 1 to March 8 next year. Almost every city and big town in Italy, stirred by Signor Mussolini’s enthusiasm for the project, is sending to London the choicest of its treasures. France, Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Sweden, and the United States are-showing the greatest eagerness to co-operate in making the exhibition the most wonderful of its kind. ' x Pictures, sculptures, furniture, and other objects of Italian art in Britain, too, are being offered with alacrity. The King is lending eight pictures now in Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. Private collectors in every part of the Kingdom are parting, for a time with priceless works. Among them are Viscount Lascelles, the Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Bath, the Ear! of Crawford and Balcarres, the Earl of Radnor, Earl Spencer, Viscount Harcourt, Viscount Allendale, Lord Lee of Fareham and Sir Herbert Cook. Major A. A. Longden, secretary-general of the exhibition, stated recently that the total value of the works to be shown at the exhibition is about £7,000,000. He said: —“Italy is lending its very best and is . wonderfully keen. American collectors are showing a fine spirit. We have approached ten, and so far four have already promised to let us have the pick of their treasures. There will be about 350 pictures on view, and in addition there will be many marvellous examples of Italian sculpture, pottery, glass and furniture. “One of the great features will be a glorious collection of the finest drawings by old masters, such as Botticelli, Raphael, and Michael Angelo. It is certain thal large numbers of art lovers will flock to London to see at the exhibition pictures which to view in the usual way would necessitate their visiting many countries.”