Martha Doris Bailey’s legacy gift
Adolph Menzel's 'Afternoon in the Tuileries Gardens'
In 2022 we were honoured to report an enormously generous legacy from the late Mrs Martha Doris Bailey.
Mrs Bailey was initially introduced to Neil MacGregor during his time as Director of the National Gallery and, following her death in 2000, the Gallery was touched to learn of her bequest.
The first tranche of her gift helped make possible the acquisition of Menzel’s Afternoon in the Tuileries Gardens in 2006. With receipt of the second tranche this year, 22 years after her passing, she continues to play an important role in the development of the national collection.
The late Mrs Bailey’s husband, Mr Richard Hillman Bailey, had been a house builder in life and Mrs Bailey’s Trustees were left a farm upon trust to sell, but with power to postpone the sale for a period not exceeding 80 years, until the Trustees have gained planning permission for residential development on the land. This has now been partially achieved and, in accordance with the late Mrs Bailey’s wishes, has resulted in a wonderful gift of £6,750,000 to the National Gallery’s Acquisition Fund.
The National Gallery is here for everyone and gifts in wills, no matter how small or large, have the power to help us connect people to paintings for generations to come, supporting our programme of education and conservation, as well as acquisitions.
We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the late Mrs Martha Doris and Mr Richard Hillman Bailey for their generosity and foresight, as well as all those who have left a gift in their will to the National Gallery.
If you would like to learn more about supporting the Gallery in this way, please contact our Legacy Manager, Meredith Loper, via email: Meredith.Loper@nationalgallery.org.uk, or telephone: 020 7747 5982.
Alternatively, additional information, including our legacy film, is available to watch on our website: nationalgallery.org.uk/support-us/leave-a-legacy
