The French government is looking to spoil the Rijksmuseum’s deal with the Rothschilds on the Rembrandt portraits. But it seems the owner would prefer to see the works hang together. Here’s the New York Times:

The French Culture Ministry has made a bid to purchase one of a highly coveted pair of Rembrandt portraits from Éric de Rothschild, offering 80 million euros, or about $90 million, for one of them. […]

In a statement released on Thursday, Fleur Pellerin, the French culture minister, described the move “as part of joint efforts by France and the Netherlands” to acquire the two works, one for the Louvre in Paris and one for the Rijksmuseum. She said funds would come from the “exceptional patronage of the Bank of France,” the country’s central bank.

France Makes Bid to Buy Rembrandt Portrait  (The New York Times)