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Tate could buy hospital’s art
Gallery enters discussions to acquire donated paintings left behind after closure
TATE gallery chiefs have broken with convention to announce their interest in four historic paintings due to be sold off by UCLH.
The museum could prove to be the saviour of the Acts of Mercy works by British symbolist Frederick Cayley Robinson, which many had feared would slip into private hands following the hospital’s decision to sell them through Christie’s auctioneers.
The paintings were donated to the Middlesex Hospital by collector Sir Edmund Davis nearly a century ago but are now owned by University College London Hospital.
The decision to sell them, made at a public hospital board meeting in February, has triggered outrage among former staff and conservationists.
Last Wednesday, the Tate told the West End Extra: “When we’ve acquired works we always announce it. It goes on our website and our annual report but up to that point we can’t talk about anything we’re doing.
“We don’t talk about works that are not part of the collection.
“We’ve got no comment to make.”
But, in a break from policy on Friday, the gallery contacted the West End Extra with new information.
A Tate spokeswoman said: “Tate is in discussion with the Trust to find ways these important works might be retained for public benefit, as Sir Edmund Davis intended.”
The statement came the day after UCLH announced it would defer the sale for six months to give “suitable institutions” time to raise funds.
UCLH has been criticised for ignoring the hospital’s history and for “selling off the birthright of London”.
Artist Chris Price, of St John’s Wood, questioned the legality of the hospital’s decision to sell, while writer Jack Budden, of Fitzroy Square, said: “My fear is the trustees are not honouring past benefactors and seem to be insensible to a wide range of artefacts of much cultural value.”
A UCLH spokesman saidl three weeks ago: “The decision to sell the paintings was taken by the Trust Board of Directors in accordance with the UCLH Arts Acquisitions and Disposal Policy.
“This allows for pieces of art to be disposed of when they cannot be adequately or realistically cared for within the Trust.
“Following the sale of the Middlesex Hospital in the summer of 2006, there was nowhere suitable within the Trust for the paintings – which are a considerable size – to be re-located.
“Also the cost of maintaining the paintings was taken into account – reframing them would alone have run into tens of thousands of pounds.
“There were no legal issues surrounding the sale of the paintings which belonged to UCLH.” |
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