Art: More for Israel

Tireless is the word for Showman Billy Rose. Fortnight ago, acting as head of the fine arts committee for Israel’s new Jerusalem Museum of Art, he announced that he had persuaded U.S. Sculptor Jacques Lipchitz to bequeath 300 original plasters to the museum.* Last week he announced another coup. While lunching in London a month ago, he said, he asked the widow of Sculptor Jacob Epstein just what her U.S.-born husband would have done with his 200-odd original plasters had he known that Rose was gathering works for the ambitious museum in Israel. “Give them to you,” said Lady Epstein, and in Sir Jacob’s name, she did.

*Which is like getting 300 original manuscripts from a front-ranking author. Though the plasters could be used to turn out more and more bronzes, that is not the museum’s function or intention. Properly cared for, a plaster will last indefinitely in a dry climate like Israel’s.