Museum acquisitions

A collection of photographs capturing a century of Scottish history has been saved for the nation at a price tag of £1m.

More details and a launch date have emerged for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s new Photography Centre.

Imperial Health Charity was awarded £8000 to add to its collection at the London Original Print Fair last night.

Sotheby’s has negotiated the private sale of a still life by Juan de Zurbarán (1620-1649) to the National Gallery, London.

The London Original Print Fair (LOPF) has shortlisted five institutions for this year’s acquisition award. The successful entrant will win £8000 to spend at the fair which takes place at the Royal Academy of Arts on May 3-6.

Connaught Brown has sold a still-life by Vincent van Gogh (1853-90) to the Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands.

The Victoria & Albert Museum has purchased a rare 17th century wall hanging from the Belgian restorer and weaver De Wit Fine Tapestries.

A charitable trust has bought two pairs of 18th century French chairs from National Galleries of Scotland for a museum in Chester.

Westminster Abbey is to unveil a series of watercolours after the Dean and Chapter of Westminster purchased a group of 35 pictures from artist Alexander Creswell.

The Louvre Museum in Paris has raised more than £8m to buy a jewel-encrusted Book of Hours.

Museums in the UK have been selling off their collections and have been unable to buy new works of art due to funding issues, a “deeply depressing” report has revealed.

The British Museum has saved for the nation an 18th century drawing by Austrian Romantic artist Joseph Anton Koch (1768-1839) after it was sold at auction from the estate of art critic Brian Sewell.

London dealers Agnews and Rafael Valls have jointly sold a 17th century portrait of a woman who suffered from a rare congenital condition to the Wellcome Collection.