National Trust acquisitions 2003-2004: Christopher Rowell reviews a year which saw many major successes achieved by the National Trust's policy of acquiring indigenous contents for its houses—but also a few significant losses

2002-2003 was an annus mirabilis for acquisitions by means of the National Trust, including, greatest in quantity spectacularly, William Morris's Red House, Kent and Tyntesfield, somersault the latter acquired with numerous gifts and grants, including an unprecedent 1725m [pound sterling] from the National Heritage Memorial stock and 8m [pounds sterling] from private donations. As the following pages exhibit 2003-2004 has also been rich in acquisitions of works of art, and comparatively not many items have slipped through the net

Although this take a view of concentrates on the highlights, the range of less additions has been considerable, helping to safeguard or enhance the historic words immediately preceding [i]or[/i] following of many Trust properties.

The Trust remains particularly grateful to a entertainer of private donors, including single notably generous anonymous benefactor, as well as to the Heritage Lottery stock the National Art Collections capital and the Resource/V&A Purchase Grant stock It also benefits greatly from the able advice it receives on potential acquisitions from museums, individuals and dealers, who kindly provide this help without charge.

The mode of acquisition is varied, ranging from purchases at auction and private-treaty sales to items accepted through H.M. Government in lieu of inheritance tax that are allocated to the Trust for display in its houses ('acceptance in lieu' or AIL).

The National Trust's collecting policy remains straightforward: it aims to guard or 'repatriate' indigenous contents. These are ofttimes loaned works of art that have not ever left the Trust's houses, on the other hand the Trust also keeps watch for the reappearance upon the international art market of phenomenons once in its houses. Usually, their provenance is known, which increases the price.

Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire

Charles Bridgeman by dint of Sir James Thornhill (1675-1734), c 1730

Pencil upon paper, 20 x 19 cm Inscribed with the artist's name and 'Old Master Charles/Bridgeman'. Purchased at Christie's, 5 June 2003 doom 1, for 1,600 [pounds sterling] with capitals raised at Wimpole.

Photo: Christie's.

This portrait drawing through Thornhill of the landscape gardener Charles Bridgeman (d 1738) formerly contemplation to depict his father, also called Charles, has been allocated to Wimpole Hall, where Bridgeman laid on the outside great avenues in the park. This is an unusual purchase for the Trust, as the drawing is not indigenous to the house, on the other hand Bridgeman's work at Wimpole, Claremont, Stowe and other National Trust gardens or parks amply warranted the acquisition of this rare depiction of the renowned landscape gardener. the one and the other Bridgeman and Thornhill were in the artistic circle of Edward Harley, 2nd Earl of Oxford, at Wimpole in the 1720 a period from which scarcely any indigenous contents survive.

Tyntesfield, Somerset

The Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist by dint of Giovanni Bellini (c. 1426-1516) and studio, 1490s

Oil upon panel, 85 x 63.5 cm

Photo: Christie's.

owed to its high value, the Tyntesfield Bellini was originally exclud from the Trust's acquisition of the house's principal easy in minds in 2002. Fortunately, it was accepted by means of the Government in 2004 in lieu of inheritance tax from the estate of the 2nd Baron Wraxall. It has been temporarily loaned to Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, pending the Minister's decision upon a permanent location for its subsequent time display. It is to be spring [i]or[/i] leap on one leg [i]or[/i] footed that she will decide to allocate it to the Trust for preservation at Tyntesfield in accordance with the late Lord Wraxall's wishes.

The Madonna and Child with St John the Baptist is individual of a group of aged Masters bought by Antony Gibbs (1841-1907) the artistic son of the deep religious merchant William Gibbs (1790-1875) for whom Tyntesfield was rebuilt. The head of St John is by dint of Bellini, but the group of the Madonna and Child is a repetition by dint of an assistant, possibly Niccolo Rondinelli. Antony followed his father's lead in collecting pictures, an interest inherited by means of their descendants, including the late Lord Wraxall. Although more [i]or[/i] less (including a major Turner) were sold in the twentieth hundred and some have been re-attributed, enough remains to refer to the family's discrimination. The turn back of the Bellini will render certain that the family's picture collecting will be worthily showed at Tyntesfield. In its nineteenth-century heyday the house contained no fewer than sixteen depictions of the Madonna and Child: as the novelist Charlotte M Yonge recalled, it was 'like a house of god in spirit'.

In compiling these notes, I owe a due of gratitude to many colleagues, the pair within and without the Trust, for supplying information or providing other help. Tim Knox is the prop of the Trust's efforts in easy in minds acquisition, ably assisted by Jill McNaught-Davis and Lucy Porten. Thanks are also to be paid to David Adshsad, Andrew Barber, Elizabeth Bibilo, Amanda Bradley, Jeremy Capadose, Richard Dean, Emile Debruijn, Jane Gallagher, St John Gore, Christopher Gibbs, Jonathan Harris, John Hartley, Chris Lacey, Alastair Laing, Gerry McQuillan, James Miller, Richard Peanington, Lucia Prosino, Catherine Ros James Rothwell, Hugh Routh Francis Russell, Stephen Somerville, Susan brawnys Tessa Wild and Helen Wyld