Letter: Art without the mysticism

Sir: Your correspondent Mr Voremberg (letter, 16 April) has got his facts wrong about access to the Government Art Collection (GAC).

The GAC is a working collection of some 12,000 works of art on view in 500 government buildings in 300 cities at home and abroad. At any one time between 75 and 80 per cent are on display, serving the national interest by showing British cultural achievements to a wide and international audience.

Individual works in the collection can be viewed by interested persons, by appointment, on the same basis as the listed works in private hands about which Mr Voremberg wrote. Indeed GAC staff will make every effort to obtain viewing access to GAC works in British embassies abroad, subject to common-sense considerations of security.

JOHN TUSA

Chairman

Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection

Department of National Heritage

London W1