From Arts Journal: A few days ago, the Dover Free Public Library in Morris County NJ, took ‘Emigrant Train Attacked by Indians’ by Emanuel Leutze (painter of the more famous Washington Crossing the Delaware) down from its walls, packed it, and put it in a truck destined for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It will be on loan there for five years. After that, no one is talking.
Why? Dover library director Robert Tambini told the Morris Country Daily Record that he was bothered that such an important painting, which hung in the library’s reading room, was unrecognized, unseen by enough people. It was lent to the library in 1934, and given to it in 1943 by a local family, the Derrys, in memory of Olivia Smith Derry.
Recently appraised for insurance, it was valued at $2.5 million, up from $300,000 in 1988, according to the DR. Here’s a link to the article in the Daily Record.
Should be seen
Paintings are painted to be seen. Housing it in an art museum is a good idea.
Maybe the art museum will house it’s art books and reference collection at the library.
Maybe.
R. Lee Hadden (These are my own opinions!)