A testament to art
AN OXFORD DON who died in February has left over £1m to the Ashmolean Museum in a surprise bequest.
Brian Miller, bachelor, art lover, and fellow of Brasenose College left almost everything he owned to the university museum.
The museum's administrator, Roger Hobby, said that the legacy came completely out of the blue: "It was certainly a surprise to me. It is hugely important to the museum."
The legacy included the furniture of Mr Miller's house in Bradmore Road, north Oxford, which was sold at Phillips auctioneers in Park End Street for nearly £50,000.
Phillips' sale coordinator Michael Mayow said that the sale was an interesting one:
"We don't get many intact collections like this, these days. The fact that Mr Miller was a bachelor and left it all to the Ashmolean was unusual"
He added: "There were some very interesting and quirky items; we were quite pleased to have got them sold"
Mr Miller was an art lover and one of the Friends of the Ashmolean. He regularly visited the museum. "He could be seen here most Sunday afternoons looking at the western arts collection," said Mr Hobby.
"His death was a great blow to all of us who knew him. He very generously left nearly all his estate to the museum," he added.
In his will Mr Miller asked that the money be divided between the museum's departments of western and eastern art. Part of the money has been set aside to create a trainee post in the museum's print room.
The rest has been used to purchase various works of art, among them eThe Nile', by the 19th century french painter Jean-Leon Gerome. This is to be hung in the Hindley Smith gallery with a dedication to Mr Miller.
4th Oct 2001