Studio: international art (18.1900)

Sttidio-Talk

with the name of Watteau, and it will be noticed
that Mr. Jackson's details have a decorative value
to which we are not accustomed in most of the
work that resembles his.

By the death of Sir Henry Tate, we lose one
of the most intelligent and public-spirited art
patrons that this century has produced. Among
the many men who have distinguished themselves
by the sincerity of their desire to provide for
workers in art the right kind of encourage-
ment, and the best type of support, he will
long remain conspicuous on account of his
enlightened understanding of the needs of the
time in which he lived. The large fortune that he
gained in trade enabled him to gratify his taste as
a collector of works of art, and to play a most
important part as a philanthropist. A great
number of public institutions have reaped im-
mense benefits from his generosity, and in many
cases practically owe to him their existence. Of
all the undertakings with which he was associated,
the one by which he will be most surely remem-
bered is the creation of the National Gallery of
British Art. The building at Millbank, of which the

first half was opened by the Prince of Wales on
July 21 st, 1897, and the remaining part as recently
as last November, was erected entirely at his
expense, and was presented by him to the nation,
with the collection of works of art that he had
been gathering together during many years. It
is to be regarded as a splendid monument of
private munificence, almost unique in character,
in that it was brought into existence during the
lifetime of the donor, and was not the outcome of
a bequest.

Now that a gallery exists worthy to house the
best examples of the British school, the question
arises as to the manner in which the rooms
available in the building can best be utilised. It
must not be forgotten that no future additions to
Sir Henry Tate's gift are contemplated, and that
there is actually no ground left on which other
rooms could be built. As a collection of some
three hundred pictures and pieces of sculpture
practically filled that section of the gallery first
opened, we may reckon that there is now space for
about a thousand works of art at the outside.
This space will have to be very jealously conserved,

BY F. E. JACKSON'