Exiled Art

Against the feared ravages of war, most of Europe's great art collections have gone into hiding. At the New York and San Francisco Fairs, however, many a masterpiece from Europe has safely stayed on display. With both fairs about to close, these foreign art exhibits last week had to seek other shelter.

To Manhattan's vast Metropolitan Museum for an indefinite visit will go the five classical Greek statues, one ascribed to Praxiteles, which have been a star turn at the World of Tomorrow. Too precious to run the risk of torpedoes is the first group of originals that has left Greece since Lord Elgin carried off the treasures of the Acropolis to London's British Museum more than a century ago. Premiums on the five statues' insured value of $2,000,000 presumably will be paid by the Metropolitan.

Assembler of the Masterpieces of Art exhibit at the New York World's Fair was tall, resourceful Director Wilhelm Reinhold Valentiner of the Detroit Institute of Arts. To Detroit, appropriately, will be shipped next month 42 of the 45 paintings Dr. Valentiner borrowed abroad. If World War II continues, they will later tour other U. S. museums which are willing to underwrite their $2,500,000 insurance.

San Francisco has not yet heard from most of its European exhibitors. But Italy, War II's No. 1 neutral, obviously expects to fence-sit for at least another month. Already in the U. S. are the Italian experts who will re-crate the group of Renaissance masterpieces Italy sent to the Golden Gate, escort it back across the Atlantic.

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