The success of Charles Saatchi’s new gallery in London has spurred others, including Sir Elton John, to build and open their own public galleries. “Opinion is divided in the art world over the reasons for this sudden wave of philanthropy. While there are few who do not welcome the thought of these eclectic collections being made public, sceptics sense that the scale of investment being bestowed on the new galleries owes as much to vanity as it does to charity.”