Donor gives $7 million in art

The Art Gallery of New South Wales says the seven million bequeath by a Sydney lawyer is most significant to the gallery’s European art in recent years.

Kenneth Reed, a city-based retired lawyer and arts patron will leave the Gallery with over 70 collections that include old master paintings, Italian Maiolica and European 18th-century porcelains.

Jane Wynter, Benefaction Manager of the Gallery said patrons like Kenneth Reed play a vital role in expanding the Gallery’s collection.

“The Gallery gets no government funding for acquisitions. So collections can expand only with donations or gifts of works which enrich and fill gaps in the collection,” said Jane Wynter.

The Gallery’s old masters collection is almost exclusively comprised of works that have been donated. James Fairfax has been the principal donor but is now closely followed by Ken Reed.

Reed’s 25 paintings will represent a 50 per cent increase to the Gallery’s holding on European Old Master paintings.

Richard Bereford, senior curator of European art at the Gallery said the eventual addition of Mr Reed’s contribution is “a huge step forward.”

He pointed towards a great Dutch banquet still life by Abraham van Beyeren which he said will be “one of the greatest still life paintings in the Gallery’s collection.”

Kenneth Reed’s own favourite is John Hoppner’s portrait of the French dancer Mademoiselle Hilligsberg, which combined his love for art and ballet.

Reed has been a collector of European fine and decorative arts for some 25 years and said he was always inspired by visits as a child to the Art Gallery of NSW.  

“I have spoken to other galleries about the paintings, but the Sydney gallery had a place for them,” Reed said.

“Not all galleries have a place for this sort of painting.”

The art patron first came to public attention in 2006 when he donated one million to the Australian Ballet.

Mr Reed’s paintings will remain on show in the Gallery until January 16 before being returned until the bequeath takes effect.

The ceramics will be on permanent display.

by Bonnie Yiu