Export stop on £71m Rembrandt
In one of her first official acts since being appointed arts minster Ruth Mackenzie has put an export bar on a Remrandt painting valued at £71m, the most expensive object ever to have been accorded national treasure status.
It is now down to a British gallery to fundraise to match the price of the painting, Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet, painted in 1657, which is currently hanging in the National Museum Wales in Cardiff.
“The Portrait of Catrina Hooghsaet has been part of the UK's cultural life for centuries” Mackenzie said today. “The scale, beauty and history of this masterpiece make it a priority for cultural partners, funders, philanthropists, and lovers of Rembrandt to help this masterpiece keep its historical place in the UK."
The picture is considered to be one Rembrandt’s most exceptional later works which has been displayed in the UK since the mid eighteenth century. The subject, Catrina Hooghsaet, was an affluent member of Amsterdam’s Mennonite community whose unconventional domestic life saw her live separately from her husband (she was married three times). Rembrandt’s depiction captures both her character and individuality, demonstrating his celebrated ability to convey the inner life of his sitters.
https://www.artsindustry.co.uk/news/3518-ruth-mackenzie-joins-expanded-dcms