Letter: A picture that would please Holloway

Sir: Were Thomas Holloway to rise from his grave today to see the results of his endowment, he would loudly cry hurrah. He would find a major university institute on a glorious site of his choosing with an impressive range of new buildings, swarming with students, and academic research burgeoning.

Were a painting to be sold for many millions, I believe he would advise re-investing pounds 1m on 77 carefully selected 20th-century paintings 'for the decoration of the College buildings' which might well induce a similar dilemma for the trustees in 2092.

Yours faithfully,

PETER RICE-EVANS

Department of Physics

Royal Holloway

Egham, Surrey