£35 million Rembrandt masterpiece could remain in Britain after plan revealed to withdraw export licence

Art lovers hoping to catch a glimpse of one of Rembrandt's most esteemed works are set to be buoyed after a licence application to move the portrait overseas could be dropped
Set to stay: The £35 million Rembrandt portrait Catrina Hooghsaet could be loaned to a British institution it has emerged
PA
Jamie Bullen24 October 2015

A £35 million Rembrandt masterpiece could remain in Britain after it emerged a licence application to export the artwork is to be withdrawn, according to Sotheby's

A spokeswoman from the auction house explained the prospective foreign buyer of the the Portrait Of Catrina Hooghsaet is considering a loan to a UK institution so the painting can continue to be viewed by the British public.

The government has said they would slapped a temporary ban on the export until a buyer can be found who can raise enough funds to keep the portrait in the UK, which is the preferred option.

Interested parties have been given until February 15 next year to secure the Dutch master's work.

The spokeswoman said: "The prospective buyer is considering a loan to a UK institution so that the painting can be further enjoyed by the British public.

"If these intentions materialise, that will mean, of course, that the picture will remain - for some time to come - in the UK, very possibly on view to the public, and that no funds will need to be raised in order to make that happen."

Catrina Hooghsaet was a wealthy Amsterdam resident who, at the time of the painting, was married but separated from her husband.

The portrait was painted in 1657 and is one of Rembrandt's best known works in the UK.

Previously it has been loaned and been on public display at the National Museum of Wales, the National Trust's Penrhyn Castle and most recently at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said when the ban was announced: "This Rembrandt painting has been enjoyed by the UK public for more than 250 years and provides a fascinating glimpse into history, helping us to better understand how society and art have evolved over the centuries.

"It's important that paintings, especially one as famous as this, are available for our students to learn from. I hope that the temporary export bar I have put in place will result in a UK buyer coming forward to buy the Rembrandt painting to save it for the nation."

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