What price holding on to our
art? 
Is it selfish to save great works of art from going
abroad? Is it preferable for magnificent works of art to go to a public
collection overseas, than for them to languish behind closed doors in the UK?
These are the questions being batted back and forth by Jonathan Jones on his
Guardian Blog and our director, David Barrie.
As Jonathan Jones
comments, every time a painting goes to auction we hear the same tired
debates?Why has the question of national art purchasing come down to
this timid obsession with what is already in Britain? Because our
museums have no money, that's why.?
Two current cases highlight the
issues at stake: Last week the Art Fund launched a public campaign to save JMW
Turner's magnificent watercolour, The Blue Rigi, for Tate. And now we
hear that the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is hoping to buy a17th-century Rembrandt
portrait, privately owned in Wales for 150 years.
The difference here is
that the Rijksmuseum Museum may be helped by a special grant from the Dutch
Government. The museum is being given what Jones suggests our national gallery
ought to benefit more from money to shop around aggressively and hungrily, for
art all over the world? Should our Museums and Galleries not be given
the same opportunity to acquire works of art? In the absence of public
funds is it not time that the Government looked more seriously at ways in which
we can foster a culture of giving, through tax incentives? Add your voice to the
debate.
To read more http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/art
Surely the government should do more
Comment posted by: cuttlefish. (25th February 2007).
We should look at the US tax system that encourages giving gifts and money to museums (and to universities). In general we should hang on to artworks owned in the UK although when our collections are well stocked with those of particular artists I do see some merit in artworks being spread in museums throughout the world. Showing artworks from other countries can only assist mutual undertanding.
Comment posted by: sapiens. (16th March 2007).
Rembrandt's "Catrina Hooghsanet" (illustrated) is probably Wales greatest picture still in a private collection, and was acquired in the mid 19th century from earlier UK owners. It hung in the National Museum Wales from 1971 to 1985. NMW has few Dutch works. The quality and sensitivity of this portrait is outstanding and would greatly enhance the Cardiff collection. The open market value is £40/45m, though this reduces to £28/29m if acquired by a national gallery. There should be an appeal to all Welshmen worldwide to save it for Wales.
Comment posted by: j dyl creig. (1st August 2007).
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