Museum acquisitions
Museums often acquire works through donations but, in spite of funding constraints, they also make purchases to expand their collections, either bidding at auctions, negotiating private treaty sales or, in the UK, via the Acceptance in Lieu scheme.
Rare 17th century portrait of black and white women goes on display at Compton Verney
10 October 2024Following an 18-month conservation and research project at the Yale Center for British Art, an enigmatic double portrait that drew a dramatic competition at auction in 2021 is going on display at its new permanent home of Compton Verney.
Gainsborough portraits on public display for the first time
05 October 2024Four Thomas Gainsborough (1727-88) family portraits acquired under the Acceptance in Lieu scheme have gone go on public display for the first time.
Classic Kemp-Welch artwork reunited with its preliminary sketches after museum’s purchase
23 September 2024A landmark painting by renowned equine artist Lucy Kemp-Welch (1869-1958) has been reunited with the sketches she made to create the work thanks to a museum purchase from a dealer.
Museum given jewellery by dealer Wartski
16 September 2024London dealership Wartski has donated a collection of jewellery made by the Arts & Crafts silversmith Frederick Partridge to the Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft.
Leighton auction purchase lights up exhibition at museum dedicated to the artist
10 September 2024Frederic Leighton’s 'Bay of Cádiz, Moonlight' will go on public display for the first time in 120 years at the artist’s former home after being bought at auction this summer.
Louis Osman ring sold at auction returns to the house where he lived and worked
02 September 2024A gold and diamond ring made by the architect turned goldsmith Louis Osman (1914-96) has gone on public display at the Northamptonshire home where he lived, worked and drew inspiration for more than a decade.
Christie’s brokers sale of Alma-Tadema from Isabel Goldsmith’s collection to The National Gallery
16 August 2024The National Gallery in London has acquired a major work by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836-1912) from the collection of Isabel Goldsmith.
London gallery sells feminist masterpiece to Manchester Art Gallery
02 August 2024Martin Beisly Fine Art has sold a major work by a female Victorian artist to Manchester Art Gallery.
‘Exceptionally rare’ ivory carving saved for the nation after £2m purchase
17 July 2024A rare medieval carving previously part of an antiques dealer’s collection has been bought for £2m by the V&A.
Paper chasers: British Museum shows off recent print purchases
17 June 2024The British Museum never stands still when it comes to acquiring works on paper, as a new exhibition showcasing purchases over the past 20 years demonstrates
Chess set inspired by 1980s strike goes on display at National Coal Mining Museum
04 June 2024Pieces feature key political figures such as Margaret Thatcher and Neil Kinnock
Interview: how a museum raises funds from auction guarantees
03 June 2024The existence of third-party guarantees has been a notable feature in the auction market for more than two decades now. Indeed, it is now the most common form of guarantee issued by salerooms, in particular on high-value artworks.
Museum makes $500,000 from auction guarantees
03 June 2024A museum in the US has revealed that it made $500,000 by acting as a third-party guarantor at high-profile sales.
Getty Museum buys 17 drawings from private collection
07 May 2024The J Paul Getty Museum has acquired 17 drawings dating from the 16th to early 20th centuries from a private collection.
Auction buy set to shed light on Jane Austen
29 April 2024A 78-page manuscript bought at a Bonhams auction could help to shed light on author Jane Austen.
Getty Museum buys Caravaggisti party scene from private collector
24 April 2024The J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has acquired a lively 17th century genre painting by Italian artist Bartolomeo Manfredi (1582-1622).
The National Gallery buys its first work by Impressionist painter Eva Gonzalès
22 April 2024A painting by French Impressionist painter Eva Gonzalès has been acquired by The National Gallery via a private treaty sale from a British collection for a “tax-advantageous price” of £1.49m.
Dealer sells portrait by female artist to Getty Museum
11 April 2024With international institutions keen to rebalance their collections to include more works by female artists, the J Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles announced this week that it has bought an early portrait by Sophie Frémiet (1797-1867).
Florida museum reveals purchase of early Chinese artefact alongside donation of 700 prints
08 April 2024The Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida has purchased an early Northern Song Dynasty stoneware box from a private US collector for a six-figure sum.
Self-portrait by George Frederic Watts acquired by Watts Gallery via tax deal
03 April 2024A self-portrait by artist George Frederic Watts (1817-1904) has been acquired by Watts Gallery in Compton, near Guildford.
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