Sir, – In the discussion of whether museums should adopt a more pragmatic stance on selling their art collections (Arts, December 5th), the absence of any reference to the ethical circumstances surrounding donated artworks was worrying. Museums that show reluctance to sell their collections are described as "coy", because this may partly be to admit that a mistake was made in buying them.
But a great many museums do not rely on buying or selling for the quality of their collections. They rely on the spirit of philanthropy or patriotism that motivates often wealthy owners to donate objects or collections to public institutions on the understanding that they will not be alienated through sale. This involves no small matter of trust between donors and museums, a principle underpinned by the ethical presumption against sale.
Many museums, and particularly non-art museums, depend primarily on donation to build the quality of their collections. A more casual approach to the sale of objects would undoubtedly undermine the trust on which these philanthropic transactions depend. The presumption against sale in the International Council of Museum’s Code of Ethics is primarily directed at safeguarding that trust. – Yours, etc,
PAT COOKE,
Director,
MA in Cultural Policy & Arts
Management,
Belfield, UCD, Dublin 4.