College Museum Notes

Abstract

Somewhat overlooked in the midst of the celebrations and the nationwide publicity occasioned by the formal presentation to the nation of the great gift of works of art by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation last year was the “Study Collection Program” which was an integral and anything but negligible part of this huge art project. The nature of the activities of the Kress Foundation in the arts cannot but be well-known to anyone interested in the fine arts in the United States. Through publications of all varieties, the nature of the stupendous gift of the Foundation to the National Gallery and to the eighteen museums scattered across the nation, from the Eastern Seaboard to Hawaii, has already been given the attention due it. Only mentioned in passing, however, has been the Study Collection Program which one might consider of even greater importance to teaching institutions who concern themselves with the study of the history of art. To be sure, even the great gift to the National Gallery and to the other large museums has, beyond its obvious value, an aspect making it particularly important for advanced study in the field. As a result of the labors of its Research Curators, the late William Suida, and now Mrs. Fern Rusk Shapley, the Foundation has so thoroughly studied and documented the hundreds of paintings and sculptures which were presented to the country in December, that this data alone forms a body of research materials of inestimable value for future scholars in the field. In spite of the vastness of the scope of the whole Kress program, however, one must admit that munificent gifts of works of art have been made to museums in this country before and it is not for this alone that the Kress Foundation Program merits such a unique position in the history of American philanthropy in art. It does so, primarily, for the truly transcontinental scope of its benefaction and even more, for its concern with the future appreciation of all these works of art through providing, as an integral part of its program, colleges and universities with original works of art for use as study material, directing attention thereby to a study of actual works of art.