Art: Benson Collection Sold

All modern painting had its inception in Italy in that period usually referred to by Anglican historians as the Renaissance but more aptly designated (from the painter’s point of view) by the Italians as quartocento and quintocento. More aptly, because painting of the 14th and 15th Centuries did not so much represent a “rebirth of antiquity” (since ancient Greek paintings were not rediscovered then, as were ancient. Greek sculpture and criticism) as a quickening self-consciousness on the part of the individual artist, accompanied by zeal for personal inspection of realities as they appeared to him. The result was a beginning of three dimensional representation on two dimensional canvas; depiction of sky, land, water; desire for self-immortalization in portraiture and self-propulsion in art, as opposed to slavish dogmatism in conception and execution. For such reasons, then, art lovers regard the quartocento and quintocento painters with the same veneration that philosophers accord Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and poets, Homer, Sophocles, Virgil. It was of great moment to them, therefore, when Sir Joseph Duveen, art dealer of England,announced purchase for $3,000,000 of the famed Benson collection, which, better than any other private collection extant, traces the history and spirit of early painting in Italy. Robert H. Benson is head of a potent, English banking house which bears his name. With the assistance of his wife, who is related to the late Sir George Lindsay Holford, another owner of famed Italian masterpieces, he indulged his passion for art collecting over a period of approximately 40 years (he is now 77). Why should Mr. Benson now allow his matchless treasures to pass from his possession? A hint is thrown out by the fact that high income taxes and inheritance taxes in Great Britain have influenced many a wealthy man to relinquish his art holdings. Besides, these works are of such international interest that most of the time they are being exhibited, through the owner’s generosity, in museums —the Royal Academy, the Burlington Fine Arts Club, the New Gallery Exhibition (in London and in Manchester). Soon Sir Joseph Duveen will bring them to the U. S. There are 120 in all. The artists may be grouped into the six Italian schools: Duccio di Buoninsegna of the Siena; Lippo Memmi and Brenna of Simone de Martino influence; Giotto, Ghirlandajo, Botticelli, del Sarto of the Florentine; Luini of the Milanese; Romano and Signorelli of the Ferrarese; Carlo Crivelli, Antonello, Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, Palma, Lotto, del Piombo, Bonifazio and Paolo Veronese of the Venetian. The Venetians enjoy the greatest representation.

Among the greatest single pieces are Ghirlandajo’s portrait of Francesco Sassetti (banking partner of de Medici) and his son, seen in his bank at Lyons, against a background of harbor and water front; a Titian representing the Madonna and Infant Christ; Piero di Cosimo’s picture of Hylas, Hercules’ favorite, discovered in a meadow by water nymphs.