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Singer on Art Philanthropy

By Intellectual Property Law, Esq.

From Dwight Garner's recent New York Times review of philosopher Peter Singer's new book on world poverty, "The Life You Can Save":

"Some of Mr. Singer?s contentions are harder to stomach. 'Philanthropy for the arts or for cultural activities is, in a world like this one, morally dubious,' he declares. The Metropolitan Museum of Art bought a painting by Duccio in 2004 for more than $45 million, an amount, Mr. Singer says, that would pay for cataract operations on 900,000 blind or near-blind people in the developing world. He continues: 'If the museum were on fire, would anyone think it right to save the Duccio from the flames, rather than a child?'"

Full post as published by The Art Law Blog on March 20, 2009 (boomark / email).