Greatest Art Collection Show

Masterpieces from the greatest private collection of British art are going on show at the Royal Academy.They were acquired by the late Paul Mellon, an American Anglophile whose accumulated works rival any of Britain's national art collections. The exhibition, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth, includes more than 150 works from the Yale Center for British Art to which he bequeathed his life's purchases. Among them are works by Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, George Stubbs, John Constable and JMW Turner, many which of have not been seen in Britain since they were purchased. John Baskett, Mr Mellon's life-long friend and art adviser, said the art collection was so large that only a fraction of it was being hung. "It's a very limited space in the Royal Academy. It's an exhibition you could easily have done six times over," he said. He was pleased Mr Mellon was being celebrated. "I'm sure there are people who have hardly heard of him but he gave very substantial sums to British institutions," said Mr Baskett. An American's Passion For British Art: Paul Mellon's Legacy opens at the Royal Academy on Saturday and runs until 27 January. (For full source and full article click the Headline). Irish Art