Holland thank the Hays for their donation to the musée d’orsay – The Point

François Hollande thanked Saturday the spouses americans Spencer and Marlene Hays for their gift, which “honors the France”, an extraordinary collection of paintings entrusted to the musée d’orsay, and was decorated with the rank of commander of the legion of Honor.

“Dear Marlene Hays, dear Spencer Hays, you make France the most precious gift: that of your collection, but the one thing we all expect and that we need to share: the access of all to culture. And your act, your donation, to honour the French Republic,” said the president during a reception at the Elysée.

the collection of The couple Hays, valued at 350 million euros, includes some 600 works from the second half of the Nineteenth century and the first half of the Twentieth century.

A first donation of 187 works, estimated at 173 million euros, a total of 69 works of the current nabi (Bonnard, Vuillard, Maurice Denis), as well as works of Odilon Redon, Edgar Degas, Gustave Caillebotte, Camille Corot, Aristide Maillol, Amedeo Modigliani, Albert Marquet…

“When Marlene and I were young, in the small town of Gainesville, Texas, even a simple visit to France seemed beyond our dreams. But in 1971 we made our first trip to Paris, and it is there that started our wonderful love story with the country,” said Spencer Hays, 80 years as his wife and has been married for 60 years.

“The French art has given more liveliness to my approach, has stimulated my mind, touched my heart. We have built this collection in the fun and deciding to focus on the paintings of Degas, Renoir, Modigliani, Matisse, Vuillard, and more specifically on the paintings of the artists of the movement, Nabi,” he said.

The collection has not finished growing: “people who know you know that it is around the 14 July and 7 December as your collection grows,” explained Mr Holland. “Because these were the dates of your birthdays. And again this year, you Marlene, you have given Spencer a Matisse. And you, Spencer, you have offered Marlene a Modigliani… It was not easy to find the height then!”

“After our death, our collection will be offered to the French people, and all art lovers from around the world will benefit from it”, a delighted Mr. Hays, before greeting his grandchildren present for the occasion.

23/10/2016 02:02:26 – Paris (AFP) – © 2016 AFP