Sainsbury bequest 'worth up to £100m'
Published on: 30-Oct-2007
Simon Sainsbury's bequest of 18 paintings to two British galleries is worth "somewhere between £70 and £100 million", according to the director of the Tate.The Tate and the National galleries will share the collection, after Mr Sainsbury donated them in his will.
Sir Nicholas Serota told the BBC's Lunchtime News that he thought it was "probably the most important bequest to either of the two galleries in the past 50 years".
He said that although important, the value of the unique art work would not have been the only consideration when Mr Sainsbury made the bequest.
"Its value is much greater than that; because Simon knew the collections and because he had a strong sense of what would make a difference," Sir Nicholas added.
Christopher Riopelle of the National Gallery, speaking on the same programme, said: "We simply don't have the resources to be able to buy pictures with public funds of this quality."
Paintings by Monet, Lucien Freud, Monet and others were donated by the supermarket dynasty benefactor as part of his inheritance.
He reportedly shunned the limelight, refusing an entry in Who's Who, and declined many title honours.
The National Gallery's Sainsbury wing has benefited greatly over the years from his patronage.
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