Rubens, “Samson and Delilah,” ca. 1609-10, National Gallery, London
Purchased in 1980 under Sir Michael Levey’s directorship
Sir Michael Levey, respected director of the National Gallery, London, from 1973-1987, died yesterday at 81. In his appreciation for tomorrow’s Guardian newspaper, Terence Mullaly writes:
It was while he was at the National that Levey brought in the
intelligent, if controversial, policy of cleaning and restoring the
pictures in the collection. Subsequent judgment has vindicated the vast
majority of even his most controversial decisions about conservation.
Levey taught us to look at Old Masters as those who painted them had
intended.He also exhibited skill in uniting very different and
exacting demands. He deftly combined planning for the future of the
gallery and good administration with catering for both the public and
his own staff. He was lucky with his trustees and, as a result, both
the general public and scholarship benefited.
He was a prolific author with wide-ranging expertise in European old master paintings. He also wrote on music, published three novels, and acquired major works—including paintings by Altdorfer, Rubens (above) and Monet—for the museum. As Christopher White reports in the Independent, he also “played a leading role in the long and controversial
planning of what would eventually become the Sainsbury Wing.”