Reynolds' Omai to Dublin

Another case of an export licence applied for, a UK museum (the Tate) attempting to preempt export by purchase, and the export license application withdrawn -- leaving the artwork in the UK, but in storage and unavailable for public viewing:

The Art Newspaper can reveal that Reynolds’ Portrait of Omai . . . is to go to the National Gallery of Ireland on long-term loan. The Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) has issued a temporary export licence for the work. . .

A [National Gallery of Ireland] spokesperson told us that [the loan] is for “more than three years”, although they were unwilling to disclose the precise period specified in the confidential loan agreement. This suggests that the loan agreement is not for six years, the period of the export licence. This has caused some surprise in London, considering the owner’s insistence on a temporary export licence for this period. Omai is expected to go on show in Dublin later this month.

Posted by David on January 13, 2006 12:26 PM