The Los Angeles Times reports on the hold the UK’s Culture Minister put on the Getty’s $25.1m acquisition of this Rembrandy self portrait and estimates the recession-plagued economy’s chances of raising the same sum domestically. Here’s their recap of recent Getty v. UK showdowns:
In 2011, no one stepped forward to prevent one of the Getty’s most prized recent acquisitions, the$44.9-million purchase of J.M.W. Turner’s 1939 landscape, “Modern Rome – Campo Veccino.”
And Britain’s latest Getty-related export freeze was overcome last week when a three-month hold expired on a 15th century Flemish illuminated manuscript for which the Getty had bid about $5.8 million at auction.
The manuscript, “Roman de Gillion de Trazegnies,” which includes eight half-page miniature paintings by Lieven van Lathem, is expected to arrive at the Getty Center this month and go on view starting Sept. 3, spokesman Ron Hartwig said.
A report by the British secretary of state for culture on export freezes enacted during 2010-11 noted that seven works that had been “`starred’ as worthy of special effort to retain” had exited the nation because no U.K. buyers had stepped forward. They included Getty’s Turner painting and canvases by Nicolas Poussin and Frans Hals valued at about $23.1 million and $11.9 million, respectively.
U.K. is trying to thwart Getty’s $25-million Rembrandt purchase (LA Times)
