ART TREASURES FOR ENGLAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8704, 18 August 1906, Page 4

ART TREASURES FOR ENGLAND.

FAMOUS COLLECTION BOUGHT FOR £250,000. There is something akin to consternation in Berlin art circles at a piece of news that has leaked out, though nothing has as yet appeared about it in the Press. Messrs Duveen Bros., the London art dealers, have (wired the " Daily Berlin correspondent on June 28), within the -last few days brought the entire collection of works of art formed by the late Herr Oscar Hainauer, a collection which is generally considered to be the finest of its kind in Germany. Herr Hainauer was not only himself a great connoisseur in all the varied manifestations of Renaissance art, but was helped by the advice of Dr Wilhelm Bode, who is considered the greatest authority on art in Germany, and, perhaps, . on the entire Continent. When Herr Hainauer died in 1 1894, he left some few exceedingly valuable pieces to the Berlin Museum, though the bulk of the collection passed into the possession of his widow. Dr Bode cherished the hope that the whole col' lection would eventually pass to the State, or be presented by some wealthy enthusiast, but apparently nobody felt inclined to pay the £250,000 at which it was appraised by its owner, and for which it has now passed into the bancta of Messrs Duveen. Paintings and sculpture ia marble, bronze, terracotta, wood and ivory, tapestries and embroideries, furniture and stained glass, clocks, enamels, illuminated manuscripts, fayence pottery, medals and church piate figure in the catalogue of the collection, which is to be shipped forthwith to England, and will probably be placed on exhibition at the Duveen Galleries. Among the pictures are a portrait by Botticelli, a Madonna by Lippo Lippi, and paintings by P. Poliajuolo, Patinir, Mcstaert, De Bios, Vasari, Cranac'h, Cima da Conegkmo; F. 80l and many by unknown masters. But the finest section is the sculpture,, which, includes many pieces of inestimable value by Anto-nio Rcssellino, Mino da Fiesole, Andrea della Robbia, Luca della Robbia, Aritonia 'Poliajuolo, P. Viecher, Andrea Riccio, Gian Bologna and others of equal note. This is the second important collection in Germany that has within the last few months been sold to foreign countries, and art lovers are getting seriously alarmed at this exodus of art treasures that can never again be le* placed.