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.


Leekfrith

Iron Age gold torcs head to Stoke museum after fundraising target reached

19 December 2017

A collection of Iron Age gold jewellery is to go on display at Stoke-on-Trent’s Potteries Museum & Art Gallery after fundraising hit the £325,000 target.

Cannons

Cannons from a 17th century English warship return to UK for Southend museum

15 December 2017

Recovered from a US buyer, three historic cannons are returning to Southend for a new exhibition.

 Adriaen Coorte still life

Works from ex-TEFAF President’s collection head to the National Gallery

15 December 2017

Four Old Master paintings from the collection of the late president of TEFAF, Willem Baron van Dedem, have been donated to the National Gallery.

David Brown -® Ian Macdonald.jpg

Miner turned vet then art historian comes to Winchester exhibition

13 December 2017

In covering art and antiques, it is easy to overlook the role of the collector in among the people who created objects in the first place, and of course the dealers and auctioneers who sell them. But one collector, the late David Brown, is the subject of a show coming up in Winchester.

Christopher Wood pallant 2303NEDI 02-08-17.jpg

China Dogs in a St Ives Window painting by Christopher Wood bought by Pallant House Gallery

07 December 2017

Pallant House Gallery in Chichester has now permanently acquired the painting 'China Dogs in a St Ives Window' by Christopher Wood (1901-30) after a successful fundraising drive.

Winfarthing treasure

Boom in metal-detecting helps ‘treasure’ numbers hit a record

05 December 2017

A record amount of ‘treasure’ has been found in Britain’s fields and ditches by members of the public in the past year.

Wilton

V&A preserves a piece of music hall history with Wilton's archives

31 October 2017

The oldest surviving music hall in the world, Wilton's, has given its complete archive to the V&A, saving the history of its eclectic performing arts at the venue for posterity.

img_7-4.jpg

Louvre aims to buy £8m Book of Hours

30 October 2017

The Louvre museum in Paris is hoping to raise more than £8m to buy a jewel-encrusted Book of Hours.

Tumbler

Chester’s Grosvenor Museum unveils 17th century silver tumbler after purchase by charitable trust

06 October 2017

A silver tumbler made by 17th century Chester silversmith Peter Pemberton has been bought by a trust to ensure it will stay on public display in its home town.

Tate Britain

Anthony Caro sculptures allocated to the Tate after settling £2.7m tax bill

02 October 2017

Two abstract sculptures by Sir Anthony Caro have been acquired for the nation as part of the ‘Acceptance in Lieu’ scheme. Together they have settled £2.7m of inheritance tax due from the estate of Caro’s wife, the artist Sheila Girling, who died in 2015.

 WB Yeats by Antonio Mancini

Philip Mould and National Gallery of Ireland among buyers at Yeats collection sale at Sotheby’s

28 September 2017

Dealer Philip Mould was among the bidders at Sotheby’s sale of the Yeats collection this week.

Yeats letters

Irish cultural figures protest at sale of Yeats Collection by Sotheby's

26 September 2017

Leading players in Irish arts and culture have protested at the sale of the Yeats Collection by Sotheby’s tomorrow (September 27), urging the Irish government to intervene and save it for the nation.

Tate Modern London

Tate’s acquisitions valued at £27.4m in this year’s annual report

25 September 2017

More than 1000 works were acquired by the Tate in the last year according to its latest annual report. They ranged from Old Masters to Contemporary art and had a combined value of £27.4m.

img_5-3.jpg

Windows into the life of Henry Holiday – and accountants

25 September 2017

The Institute of Charted Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) has acquired a set of four Henry Holiday stained glass windows from Mayfair dealer Sinai & Sons.

img_4-4.jpg

London dealer Derek Johns sells Kew Palace portrait of founder

18 September 2017

A portrait of the founder of Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew will return home after it was purchased from London dealer Derek Johns.

Iron age torc

Stoke-on-Trent’s Potteries museum welcomes home Wedgwood vase and kicks of fundraising for Iron Age torcs

16 September 2017

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent had a double celebration today when it welcomed home a vase by master potter Josiah Wedgwood and launched a fundraising campaign to buy the Leekfrith Iron Age Torcs.

img_9-3.jpg

From Albert to Victoria with love – a royal jewel saved for the nation

04 September 2017

A sapphire and diamond coronet designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria in 1840 has been ’saved for the nation’ after its purchase for the London’s Victoria and Albert Museum.

Queen Victoria's coronet

Queen Victoria’s coronet to remain in UK after V&A Museum acquisition

29 August 2017

A sapphire and diamond coronet designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria has been acquired by the V&A Museum. It was previously sold by a London dealer to an overseas buyer but was blocked from export by the government in 2015.

Finaldi

Saved for the nation: Bellotto’s northern European view acquired by London’s National Gallery

23 August 2017

A painting by Canaletto’s nephew Bellotto has been saved for the nation after being acquired by the National Gallery in London.

Christopher Wood

Mod Brit art gallery appeals for funds to keep Christopher Wood’s ‘China Dogs’ painting

03 August 2017

Modern British art specialist Pallant House Gallery hopes to raise the final thousands of pounds needed to keep Christopher Wood’s ‘China Dogs in a St Ives Window’ (1926) in its Chichester gallery.

News

Categories