Late art historian and collector Denis Mahon has left 57 works, valued at over £100 million, to the British nation, including many works by Italian masters Guercino, Guido Reni and Luca Giordano, under one condition: Britain must never sell them or charge admission for their viewing. Mr. Mahon reportedly built his collection without paying more than £2,000 for most of his works, and was adamant on their public accessibility. If these conditions are not met, public arts institution The Art Fund is legally able to take them back; an attempt to “keep up the pressure for governments to do the right thing by museums and galleries” says Art Fund Chief Executive Stephen Deuchar.
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