Show me the Wilkies, says Catalogue Raisonné writer to Tate
April 2 2024
Picture: Tate
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Telegraph have published an article on the plea of a scholar to be allowed more generous and timely access to paintings at Tate Britain in order to complete a catalogue raisonné project. Alex Kidson, the compiler of the Paul Mellon Centre's catalogue on George Romney, has been completing a catalogue raisonné on the Scottish Artist David Wilkie (1785–1841), a project begun by the late Hamish Miles (d. 2017). The article focuses on Kidson's requests to see many Wilkie kept in storage at Tate Britain, which has been a gargantuan task.
According to the piece:
“I haven’t succeeded in seeing the Wilkie paintings”, Mr Kidson said. “The Tate says, ‘You can go on a Tuesday morning for one hour and you’re limited to looking at five works’. If the next visit is full up, you have to wait until there’s a free spot. That’s usually about six or seven weeks ahead.
“The last time I tried they said they can make three of these works available, but a further one was not allowed to be seen at all. They didn’t say why not. I originally approached them to see these Wilkies in late November. I returned the application form on Dec 1 and in response to that was offered Feb 3. ‘The public own these works’
“That’s waiting months. I took that spot and then found I couldn’t attend for personal reasons. They said, the next available date is mid-April, but that was too late for my deadlines.”
He added: “The situation is ridiculous because the public own these works. The Tate is playing God with them.”
