Public Vandals
Vandalism is a very common word and--when used--the meaning is crystal clear: the wanton destruction or defacement of property, private or public. And vandalism has been a problem for people, as long as there has been a concept of property. But the term, itself, dates from Roman times and references the Vandals, a Germanic tribe that invaded the Empire and--in 455--sacked Rome, itself. There is some question as to how extensive the "vandalism" of the Vandals really was, but the term has entered the common lexicon, for better or worse. Regardless, there is no question that extensive plundering occurred, as the Vandals made off with a great deal of riches.
Today, large stashes of riches in states, nations, cities, and homes are not so easily plundered in such a manner, as they often exist in theoretical form, in banks and investments. However, there are places that do hold unparalleled riches, still. Chief among these--aside from the Fort Knoxes of the world--are art museums, with some paintings being valued at over one hundred million dollars. Thus, the total value of art at some museums can easily exceed billions of dollars. Of course, it's very difficult to steal such artwork; it's very tightly guarded and near-impossible to sell, if stolen. The occasional museum theft is big news.
But what about stealing an entire museum, an entire collection of valuable art, assembled over a lifetime? That would seem to be beyond impossible. Yet, in a saga that goes back decades, it may actually be happening, may already be a done deal. The collection in question is that of the Barnes Foundation, a heretofore private collection amassed by Albert C. Barnes in the early twentieth century and housed in Lower Merion, outside of Philadelphia.
Not simply a museum, the Barnes Foundation was designed to be a school for artists. The collection, itself, was never intended to leave the building, to be sold, loaned, or the like. The French artist Henri Matisse visited the school and called the Barnes (the shorthand name for the school and collection) "the only sane place to view art in America." Currently, the collection is valued at more than twenty five billion dollars.
Barnes passed away in 1951, but left a detailed will that specified the disposition of the school and the collection. His wife controlled them until her death in 1966. From there, since Barnes had no children, control of the school and collection passed to Lincoln University, via Barnes giving it the authority in his will to name four of the five board members of the foundation.
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