Mr. Rose Collects

Smart, ambitious little Billy Rose has spent most of his 40 years writing songs, producing shows, collecting money and curvesome Swimmer Eleanor Holm, whom he married after a divorce from Fanny Brice. Last week Showman Rose revealed himself as a collector of art. Mr. Rose has some 20 canvases, mostly Old Masters, which he began buying a year aro to hang in his house on Manhattan's swank Beekman Place.

Showman Rose last week showed repoiters a Rubens, a Titian, an Ambrosius Holbein (elder brother of the more famed Hans the Younger), which he bought from Manhattan's E. and A. Silberman Galleries. The Rubens, a portrait of Elizabeth of Bourbon, Queen of Spain, had been until lately in one of Europe's ex-royal families. The Titian, Portrait of a Nobleman, came from a Vienna museum. Said Mr. Rose: "The money that I have made has come from the public. If my collection grows important enough to warrant turning it over to the public after my death, I think that would be the logical thing to do. I believe that anyone with ready cash may have unusual opportunities during the next few years to acquire important paintings." Reason: only foreign exchange (preeminently dollars) can now get pictures out of Europe. The Germans, having sold a great deal from the public and private collections of greater Germany, are believed ready to dump looted pictures from occupied nations. Billy Rose has heard that agents are on the way with booty from the Louvre. But, added he, "I won't buy loot. I wouldn't pay $50 for the Mona Lisa under those conditions."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.