§ THE EARL OF HARROWBYI beg leave to ask my noble Friend the Lord President of the Council a question of which I have given him private notice upon a subject of interest, I am sure to your Lordships as well as others—whether any steps have been taken to provide accommodation for the very munificent gifts of pictures which have recently been made to the nation, and also with respect to other promises of gifts of pictures, which there is reason to hope will come to maturity hereafter?
§ THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL (Viscount CRANBROOK)Your Lordships are aware that there has been considerable discussion, since the munificent offer of Mr. Tate, as to where his pictures should be placed, both in the public Press and elsewhere. The Government have not neglected the question, but have endeavoured to ascertain what is the general view as to the best mode of dealing with the pictures which he has given to the nation; as to whether British art should be put in a better position than it has yet enjoyed as a separate school of art, and in particular as to finding better accommodation for the reception of those pictures. In consequence of a Memorandum by the Earl of Carlisle, who is well acquainted with the subject and who strongly recommended that the eastern and western galleries of South Kensington, which are no doubt among the best lighted galleries in existence, should be used for a British Art Gallery, consideration has been given to the subject, and in particular in connection with the Imperial Institute; and negotiations have been going on in the hope that a scheme may be brought about for providing a gallery along the Imperial Institute to connect the eastern and western galleries, so that the galleries may be made a most complete gallery for British art, both for seulpture, water-colours, and oil paintings. That being so, on July 24 last I called together at the Privy Council Office gentlemen whose names will, I think, commend themselves to your Lordships. I was there with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and we had with us Viscount Hardinge, Sir Henry Layard, Sir Frederic 931 Leighton, Sir Francis Burton, Sir John Gilbert, Sir James Linton, and Mr. Scharf. So that I think your Lordships will see it was a very representative assembly of persons well qualified to judge in matters of this description. It was decided, I may say without any disrespect to my own Department, that the British Art Gallery should not be in any way under the Science and Art Department, but under an independent Board, composed, to some extent, if not wholly, of those connected with national art in this country, and that it should be a Board of such a character as would give confidence to testators and donors who will probably be liberal again in connection with this matter to the advantage of British art. Considerable discussion took place with respect to the eastern and western galleries at South Kensington at that time, and Sir F. Leighton mentioned that it had been agreed by the Commissioners of the 1851 Exhibition that these galleries should have facades in connection with the Imperial Institute, so that they should not present their present shabby appearance, but have a dignified entrance fitting for such valuable collections of pictures as we hope will be found there, and in harmony with the Imperial Institute and with the connecting gallery. It is thought that there will be adequate space for sculpture, water-colours, and oil paintings, and that, on the whole, a most admirable gallery may be provided. An adjournment of that meeting took place at which I was not present nor was the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but a certain number of those who had been present visited the galleries on July 26 or 27, and reported them to be adequate for the purpose, and well lighted. I hold in my hand a copy of the Report which they made to me on that occasion, and I think it is desirable your Lordships should be acquainted with it. They say—
We, the undersigned, having, at the request of the Lord President of the Council and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, visited the east and west galleries at South Kensington in reference to their adaptability for the purpose of a National Gallery of British Art, beg to state that in our opinion they are adequate in regard to space and well lighted.That is signed by Sir A. Hardinge, Sir H. Layard, Sir F. Leighton, and Sir James Linton. Lord Carlisle was not 932 able to attend that meeting, but he remains strongly of the opinion that he at first expressed. It seemed proper, if these galleries are to be used as a museum of British Art, that a competent opinion should be obtained as to their immunity from fire. The Board of Works, therefore, obtained the opinion of Captain Shaw as to the fireproof capacity of the buildings. His Report is longer than I need read to your Lordships, but the Report of that officer is to the effect that the galleries are well adapted in every way to be used as a sculpture and picture gallery, and with some slight alterations, which he has suggested, might be made as safe from the risk of fire as it is possible for buildings of the kind to be. I thought it better to make this statement at some length, as there has been considerable discussion upon the subject out of doors, and it may have been supposed that the Government are not taking any interest in the matter; but without desiring to say anything as regards other sites at this moment, I think your Lordships will see that these galleries are well worth the attention of those in authority in order to see whether they cannot really be adapted for national art purposes.