Titian's Diana and Actaeon to stay in UK
Diana and Actaeon to remain in UK after galleries raised £50 million
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Monday, 02, Feb 2009 08:09
Titian masterpiece Diana and Actaeon is to remain in the UK after galleries raised the £50 million needed to purchase the painting.
The painting, which was put up for sale by its owner the Duke of Sutherland last year, was offered to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery in London for £50 million.
The galleries had been given until December 31st to raise the money but that deadline was extended and after a number of significant donations, the painting will be shared between London and Edinburgh.
Some £17.5 million of the total cost of the painting came from a contribution from the Scottish government, which caused Glasgow South West MP Ian Davidson to criticise the wisdom of spending public money during an economic downturn.
The National Gallery in London contributed £12.5 million, with £10 million from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and £7.4 million in public donations.
Further funds came from the Monument Trust, the National Galleries of Scotland and the Art Fund.
John Leighton, director of the National Galleries of Scotland, had previously said the paintings would be an "incalculable" loss to the UK.
"I think it would be hard to exaggerate the misfortune it would be," he said last year.
"In our terms it would be like the Mona Lisa being taken out of the Louvre, or the Uffizi gallery in Florence losing its Botticellis."
A second Titian painting, Diana and Callisto, will be offered for sale in four years.