DavidsSamlingGennem24År

groups were so well represented in other Danish mu­ seums thatfurther expansion has hardly taken place at all. This applies, fo r example, to Scandinavian faience, wares from the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufac­ tory, and Danish silver. Other groups have been sup­ plemented whenever suitable items have turned up, while areas such as French porcelain, English furniture, chinoiserie and Islamic art have been cultivated zeal­ ously. That the M useum ’s collection o f French porcelain should have become as excellent as it is - despite its modest size - is due largely to the invaluable support André Leth has had in Svend Eriksen, director o f the N y Carlsberg Foundation, who has placed his enor­ mous knowledge at the disposal o f the Museum. The collection o f English furniture, which by now is among the best to be found outside the English-speaking countries, has been built up in close collaboration with a number o f London dealers. It is concentrated around the 18th century, and the many splendidly carved items it includes provide a contrast to the Museum o f Decorative A r t’s collection, which reflects Kaare K lin t’s predilec­ tion fo r English furniture o f a more puritanical kind. A t the Museum o f Decorative A rt, André Leth was the prime mover behind the building up o f an important Chinese collection. This was an interest he was obliged to abandon in the David Collection, but nevertheless managed to let in via the back door by focussing on the fascinating phenomenon in the history o f European art and culture known as chinoiserie. Infatuation with the exotic Orient found many curious forms o f expression, but was also the impetus behind some o f the 18th cen­ tury’s finest and most charming examples o f porcelain, furniture, textiles, paintings, etc., o f which the David Collection has assembled a fin e selection over the years. A t the same time the Chinese fashion o f the 18th cen­ tury is merely an example among many o f the important cultural exchange which has always taken place be­ tween East and West, incidentally often with the geo-

H v a d in d s a m lin g s o m r å d e t a n g å r, v a r d e tte a lle ­ re d e i s to re træ k m a r k e r e t v e d C . L. D a v id s g r a n ­ d io s e g a v e . V isse g r u p p e r fa n d t A n d r é L e th d o g så g o d t r e p ræ s e n te r e t p å a n d re d a n s k e m u s e e r, a t en v id e re u d b y g n in g n æ s te n ik k e h a r f u n d e t ste d . D e t g æ ld e r f.e k s . n o r d is k e fa ja n c e r, a r b e jd e r fra D e n k o n g e lig e P o rc e la in s fa b rik , d a n s k sø lv m .m .. A n d r e g r u p p e r e r b le v e t s u p p le re t, n å r p a s s e n d e tin g e r d u k k e t o p , m e n s o m r å d e r s o m fra n s k p o r ­ c e læ n , e n g e ls k e m ø b le r , c h in o is e ri o g is la m is k k u n s t e r b le v e t o p d y r k e t m e d iv e r. A t m u s e e ts s a m lin g a f fra n s k p o rc e læ n e r b le v e t så fin , s o m d e n e r, sin lid e n h e d tiltr o d s , sk y ld e s ik k e m in d s t, a t A n d r é L e th h a r h a ft e n u v u r d e r lig s tø tte i d ir e k tø r i N y C a r ls b e r g f o n d e t S v e n d E r ik ­ se n , s o m h a r s tille t sin s to r e v id e n til r å d ig h e d fo r m u s e e t. S a m lin g e n a f e n g e ls k e m ø b le r , s o m v e l e fte r­ h å n d e n e r b la n d t d e b e d s te u d e n f o r d e e n g e ls k ­ ta le n d e la n d e , e r b y g g e t o p i e t s n æ v e rt s a m a r b e j­ d e m e d e n r æ k k e L o n d o n - k u n s th a n d le r e . D e n e r k o n c e n tr e r e t o m k r in g d e t 18. å r h u n d r e d e o g k a n , m e d sin e m a n g e p r a g tf u ld t u d s k å r n e m ø b le r , ses s o m e n m o d s æ tn in g til K u n s tin d u s tr im u s e e ts s a m lin g , d e r e r p r æ g e t a f a r k ite k te n K a a re K lin ts f o r k æ r lig h e d fo r e n m e r e p u r ita n s k e n g e ls k m ø ­ b e lk u n s t. P å K u n s tin d u s tr im u s e e t v a r A n d r é L e th h o v e d ­ k r a fte n b a g o p b y g n in g e n a f e n b e ty d n in g s f u ld k i­ n e s is k s a m lin g . D e n n e in te re s s e m å tte h a n la d e fa re i D a v id s S a m lin g , m e n fik d e n a llig e v e l lu k k e t in d a d b a g d ø r e n v e d a t f o k u s e re p å d e t fa s c in e re n ­ d e f æ n o m e n i e u r o p æ is k k u n s t- o g k u ltu r h is to r ie , s o m k a ld e s c h in o is e ri. S v æ rm e r ie t fo r d e t e k s o ti­ sk e g a v sig m a n g e k u r iø s e u d s la g , m e n v a r o g så d riv k r a f te n b a g n o g le a f d e t 18. å r h u n d re d e s fin e ­ s te o g m e s t c h a rm e re n d e p o rc e læ n e r, m ø b le r , te k s tile r, m a le rie r m .m ., a f h v ilk e D a v id s S a m lin g e f te r h å n d e n h a r e t s m u k t u d v a lg . S a m tid ig e r d e t