tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post3984188417104044111..comments2024-03-29T15:04:20.549+11:00Comments on ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly: Alfred Felton, Melbourne's art patron extraordinaireHelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-54048203691850448122022-09-16T15:52:21.878+10:002022-09-16T15:52:21.878+10:00Drew
you may well be correct. The only reference ...Drew<br /><br />you may well be correct. The only reference I could find was The Age (Nov 2003) regarding what happened to Felton's fortune post-death, since there were no heirs. "The bequest, equivalent today to about $40 million, was to be split between art purchases to raise and improve public taste, and charities caring for women and children.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-28338080279032922482022-09-16T12:00:10.901+10:002022-09-16T12:00:10.901+10:00Alfred was most likely a celibate gay man.Alfred was most likely a celibate gay man.Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07537689312412248177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-54158823556962174532015-07-19T23:53:14.420+10:002015-07-19T23:53:14.420+10:00Thank you... I would like the CAE library to have ...Thank you... I would like the CAE library to have a copy of this book, if it is not already on the shelves.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-50431822217620011052015-07-19T01:20:19.632+10:002015-07-19T01:20:19.632+10:00Thank you for the reference to Mr Felton's Beq...Thank you for the reference to Mr Felton's Bequests by John Poynter<br /><br />Alfred Felton, a bachelor of definite opinions and benignly eccentric habits, was one of the remarkable group of Melbourne merchants who dominated the economy of the Australian colonies in the decades after the gold rush. In 1904 he left his substantial fortune in trust, the income to be spent by a committee of his friends, half on charities and half on works of art for the National Gallery of Victoria, works which would raise and improve public taste. The Gallery suddenly gained acquisition funds greater than those of London's National and Tate galleries combined, and between 1904 and 2004, more than 15,000 items were purchased for it by the Felton Bequest.<br />Melbourne University Publishinghttps://www.mup.com.au/items/9780522855524#sthash.ggZ5JgXj.dpufnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-52175330350921782602012-01-22T12:02:50.248+11:002012-01-22T12:02:50.248+11:00I have had another look at the available works of ...I have had another look at the available works of art rejected by the trustees of the Felton Bequest; they would fill a small gallery of their own.<br /><br />Portrait of Lord Hampden (Gainsborough), Pastoral Landscape (Gainsborough), Portrait of William Nicholson (A John), Chloe (Lefebvre), two Renoirs etc etcHelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-9453168739411423312010-12-13T21:45:10.316+11:002010-12-13T21:45:10.316+11:00H Niyazi and Budget Hotels,
isn't it terrific ...H Niyazi and Budget Hotels,<br />isn't it terrific that something "sticks" from early childhood. <br /><br />My natural inclination is that it is a great thing to take school children to galleries and museums, but I am never quite sure whether it is worthwhile or not. So thanks.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-26239902258464521862010-12-09T21:58:57.294+11:002010-12-09T21:58:57.294+11:00Explore worldwide travel destination. Find best de...Explore worldwide travel destination. Find best deals on Hotels, Airfares,<a href="http://www.gocrazytravel.com.au" rel="nofollow">Cheap Airfares</a> Cruises, and Flights across Perth, Cairns, Adelaide, Manila, Bangkok, Phuket, Paris, London, Greece, Los Angeles, Las Vagas, New York, Florence, Barcelona, Bali, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Auckland etc.GoCrazy4Travelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01652581424790883243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-75634606523736387272010-12-09T14:30:57.183+11:002010-12-09T14:30:57.183+11:00Interesting post Hels! One of the few things I can...Interesting post Hels! One of the few things I can remember about first visiting NGV with my school in 1982 (when I was about 7) was the tour guide telling us "a lot of this stuff was left by Mr Felton" <br /><br />Nice to hear the rest of the story after so many years!<br /><br />Keep up the great work<br /><br />Kind Regards<br />HAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02091875643921165081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-37921054631311426372010-12-09T09:25:13.560+11:002010-12-09T09:25:13.560+11:00Viola,
I was rewriting my will one day and said t...Viola, <br />I was rewriting my will one day and said to my adult sons to tell me which of my collections (paintings, porcelain, silver, furniture, books) they love. <br /><br />They said, basically, than within a week of me shuffling off this mortail coil, they would take it all the Sotheby's and auction off the lot! So much for family heritage :(<br /><br />Anyhow I hope the NGV wants my treasures, things that have taken my blood, sweat and tears for 40 years! Probably not. They want to select their own treasures.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-60068554794707734072010-12-08T18:48:02.081+11:002010-12-08T18:48:02.081+11:00Hels,
Thank you for another fascinating post! I h...Hels,<br /><br />Thank you for another fascinating post! I hope that Felton is haunting the NGV and pleased with his great contribution. I also hope that there is such a thing as a happy ghost.Violahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08046603677301666579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-69936913504049348132010-12-07T20:53:57.851+11:002010-12-07T20:53:57.851+11:00Maths Tutor and Samual
Once a bequest is given, t...Maths Tutor and Samual<br /><br />Once a bequest is given, the owner no longer has control over how the money is spent. Thus it was to Felton's very great credit that he did not tie the Bequest up with an endless list of demands.<br /><br />Felton only asked that the works to be purchased would be of educational value, and would raise and improve public taste. I think he would be delighted with the collection, if he could see it now.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-30961346658654058362010-12-07T18:24:22.316+11:002010-12-07T18:24:22.316+11:00I appreciate you for posting such a beautiful Blog...I appreciate you for posting such a beautiful Blog. Our store is Your Source For Jewish Gifts, Jewish Jewelry, Bat Mitzvah Gifts, Jewish Wedding Gifts and <a href="http://store.internationaljudaica.com" rel="nofollow">Judaica</a> Gifts.Samualhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09497033145557185992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-61554252293829621362010-12-07T17:48:40.208+11:002010-12-07T17:48:40.208+11:00Hi
Great information in this post and I think the...Hi<br /><br />Great information in this post and I think the Felton Bequests' Committee must be satisfied that the works purchased were of educational value, and would raise and improve public taste.Maths private tutorhttp://www.leap-education.co.uk/maths-private-tutor.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-866938898897724872010-12-06T19:10:49.850+11:002010-12-06T19:10:49.850+11:00andrew1860
Melbourne always saw itself as a very ...andrew1860<br /><br />Melbourne always saw itself as a very cultivated, British city, 100% free of convicts. So our main state gallery was developed quickly and well, soon after Victoria separated from NSW.<br /><br />But Alfred Felton made such an enormous contribution because of timing. When he died in 1904, his huge estate didn't have to be divided up between spouses, children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. The NGV's half of his estate could be fully dedicated to collecting art, right during the NGV's biggest expansion period.<br /><br />If you are a worthy art cause, here is my suggestion. Become very close to an elderly man who has no family and no home of his own! Promise to name the gallery in his name, or the main lobby, or the entire city, if that is what it takes :)Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-15856942907910773942010-12-06T14:58:28.528+11:002010-12-06T14:58:28.528+11:00It's amazing how one person can make a big def...It's amazing how one person can make a big deference and be the source of 80% of a museums fine paintings collection.andrew1860https://www.blogger.com/profile/09302166776668727094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-58126139216116449672010-12-06T01:41:39.993+11:002010-12-06T01:41:39.993+11:00Andrew
I don't suppose Alfred Felton was a fem...Andrew<br />I don't suppose Alfred Felton was a feminist-socialist-tree hugger, but he was not a rigid conservative in his own art purchases. Yet there were decades of uncertainty in the hearts and minds of the Felton trustees. Even vaguely modernist art (eg van Gogh) set off alarm bells in their minds before WW2.<br /><br />Given it was public money, I suppose they had to be super cautious stewards of the Fund.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-12304037764756612912010-12-05T23:43:08.028+11:002010-12-05T23:43:08.028+11:00I was a quite young visitor to the Victorian Natio...I was a quite young visitor to the Victorian National Gallery when I noticed the Felton funding. Pretty cool that he lived his last years at the Espy. It is good that he is now well recognised.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-33216566063066635292010-12-05T16:32:04.919+11:002010-12-05T16:32:04.919+11:00Hermes,
Interesting stuff.
Hoff said the Austral...Hermes,<br />Interesting stuff. <br /><br />Hoff said the Australian galleries wouldn't have known quickly enough what masterpieces were coming onto the market. So a series of distinguished people agreed to be Felton Bequest Advisers, resident in London. Starting in 1917, The London Adviser would certainly have known exactly what Hermitage art objects were up for grabs.Helshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02849907428208235392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067098918914268503.post-91264255361600907262010-12-05T01:19:10.676+11:002010-12-05T01:19:10.676+11:00Fascinating self-made man but you intrigued me abo...Fascinating self-made man but you intrigued me about the Russian sell-off, must look into that.Hermeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00968366076064269729noreply@blogger.com