The Los Angeles Times drily offers this news that J.M.W. Turner’s Modern Rome — Campo Vaccino is being held up while potential donations are arranged to keep it in England:

Britain’s culture minister, Ed Vaizy, announced Wednesday that the required export license for “Modern Rome – Campo Vaccino,” which Turner painted in 1839, will be held up through Feb. 2, and potentially until Aug. 1, to give potential buyers who want to keep the painting on British soil a chance to match the Getty’s bid.

Art advisors to the British government said the Turner –- described in the Sotheby’s auction catalog as “a dreamlike vista” — is “so closely connected with our history and national life that its departure would be a misfortune.”

Getty’s Prized Purchase to Stay in England — At Least for Now (LA Times)