Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

THECOURIER-MAIL - 5 WEDNESDAY. MARCH19. 1980 The Old Masters tour the US TI l\'SSEN-BORNEMISZA By YOLANDA RADEMAKER Hans Heinrich Thy11en• Bornamisza lovH sharing his collec– tion of paintilrg• with paopl• almost •• much H ha do•• collecting. That is why he reopened the family collection al Lake i.ugano, Swilteriand, lu the public after the death of his fa ther, Heinrich, in 1947. It is alsu why he has taken cxhibitillnS to l..undun, Ru11crdam, German)', Japan and Paris. While Australian audiences nrc treated to his "Century of Modern Masters" (at the Quecnslnnd Arl Gallen• until March 30). the "Old Master Paini ings from the Collection of Baron Thl'ssen-Bornemisw" docs the rounds or" nine American cities. The 57 works which make up the American exhibition span 500 years of old nrnstcr painting. They range from a rare Sicnese pnnel by Duccio di Buuninscgna (1311) to twu early 19th century Goya,. The collection started its American tour last November in Washington, and will finish at the Metropolitan Museum of Arl in December 19Ri. But tlwrc is mort to these latest exhihition• than Baron Thys<cn• Bornemins's love or spruding them around, "Nowdays every country is tightening its grip on art," he ,.,id. "Switzerland has started mnking noises that the pictures should not leave Luganu. "One of the manl' reasons for the American tour Is to show the Swiss that this is not for them to decide. "Su when 60 pictures disappear to uther st:11cs I , m showing the Swiss 1hat these arc 111)' piciures and art knows no frontiers." The baron is adJ111anl that ownership of his pui ntin~s stays priva1c. In prcparatiun for the li fe or hill . colleclion af1cr his dealh, the baron created a Du1ch fuu ndati 'n in 1967. "The foundation owns only the impor– tant works, nut the entire. collection," he said. "It gives 111)' children shares, an,1 ir une uf them wants to sell ar1cr my death, the others have first rcl'usal before he or she sells outside the fa mily." I le has four children aged four to 29. "Thirty years after my death the foundation is ,lissoivcd unlc. s they w:int lo continue it." In quantil)', lhc "important" w!lrb constitute nnly 211 p.-rcent or the entire collection. Bui in ulue, they comprise more than h•lf or it. ®®® The American e, hibit ion works make up only one-eighth of what is on display in the museum which adjoins the baron's Villa Favorirn, in Switzerland. The museum was built by, his father: ' Heinrich, in the mid-1930s. Heinrich sc11ied in Swi11.erl11nd as a recluse a fter he ned the Communist regime in 1-iungary, in 1919. ~ , ; · Ile set out to illus1rntc the entire hi~tolV • of Eu ropea n pai ntings from the 14th to 18th centuries. " He bought al a time when c• eryone else was selling. so c uhi ., ford almost, . a nything.'' the baron said. Only once in Munii:h in 1930 did he ' publicly exhibit hi., collection, and closed the doors to his family museum in 1940. After ,•liis father's death the baron decided - as a memorial lo the lim baron :- to re-unite the collection which had ~en split among his heirs. EIHIBITIONS America and Europe, Queen,. l1nd Art Gallery, Ann St, Tn• day 2pm-5pm, Monday In Thur1dey 10.m-!Sp,n, Friday ;~· 9&.":~tln1S:'':;18foca1 10 :~d ~!1r::~• A:.,~rd-. lt't~nd~•: ~~ F•J:~ 1 ~',Wi~&,~~-Pa~~!I~~ G1ll1ry, Claytleld, W1dne1d1y to Saturday 11am-7pm: OIi ::~"""8:,,::..~~h'ao~~Yn GH1'i'i':" Today 1pm-5Pffl, Monday and Tuesday 10am-6pm, Wednu– d1y to Friday 10am•10.30pm, Sllurday 1pm-5pm; Paintings ~~- ~::';~· /:,,.~:"~,~~;: Gregory ~ce, Monday 10 Frl• di 10.m:tpm: Woru by IIOb• Oft Mllcl'tlefoon, lnllllule of Modern Art, Market St, Tuet– dal lo S.1urd~ 10llm,5prn· r:.~~~,1 9 R~im t~11ry~llrc;: r,~m~:4o=~d•,,.,~~1n:: 1d•t,1; JNn Sutherland, Phlllp l•con Gallet'lff, New Farm, Today, Tuetd • y to Thursday 10.m• ~· p::~~=· bd,11~~- ~:1,~ HIii, Today 2pm-5pm, T-y to Friday 10am~pm. Salurday 111m-5pm; Painting, by M1lv1 Brown and N • n H1rdor1ve, Ou11naland Room, George 91, Monday to Thurlld • y 8,151m• 5.08pm, Friday 8.15em,llpm; ~:;:, byo!~:ry, Co~~~D, ~,17, i:=,~d•y w~~. S.~~rd1J,, 0 l~:,~; Chen Hui, Royal Queenal • nd :;~ T~~~-•~2 ~:~~lpm~~~~ day to Frld11y 10.m..,.pm· Ml1ed Media by local Ar11at,: Sunnybank Gallerles, Sunny– banti: Ht111, Tod11y to Saturday t1~07.~~il,=-l~l~On 1 bd11r~~y~ 0Uffn St. Monday to Thufl• day 1Oam-5om, Friday 10llm• 7pm, Saturday 10am-5pm; 01n– l1h Graphic Art, Unlvenlty Art MuHum, Unlv • fllly of 0ueenItInd, Today 2pm-5pm, :--•.. '?._