John Paul Getty II dead

Many obits coming out; here's one from ITV, and another from the BBC:

Philanthropist billionaire Sir John Paul Getty II , who has died at the age of 70, gave generously to the arts since making his home in the UK.
He donated millions to various galleries and institutes but rarely sought publicity for the money he gave away.

Among the beneficiaries was the National Gallery in London, which received £50m in 1985 to support its bid to buy national treasures. A statement from the gallery said: "The trustees, director and staff of the National Gallery are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sir Paul Getty, one of the greatest benefactors that this country has ever known."

The large donation allowed the gallery to acquire major masterpieces such as Caravaggio's Boy Bitten by a Lizard and Poussin's The Finding of Moses. The National Gallery was also able to purchase Bermejo's St Michael and the Devil, and Holbein's Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling, ensuring they remained in the UK.

Getty also was known to play the spoiler, frustrating purchases in Britain by the eponymous California museum founded by his estranged father.

UPDATE: One of the more comprehensive obits appears in the Telegraph.

Posted by David on April 17, 2003 1:22 PM