Help Sitemap Home Skip Navigation Contact Us Disability Statement


£10m Holyrood pledge on Titian

Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image
Click on thumbnail to view image

Published Date: 15 December 2008
By Tim Cornwell
THE SCOTTISH Government is to pledge £10 million towards the purchase of Titian's masterpiece Diana and Acteon, effectively securing the painting for the nation, it emerged yesterday.
The National Gallery in London and the National Galleries of Scotland are jointly seeking to buy the painting for £50 million from the 7th Duke of Sutherland by 31 December.

The duke is seeking to sell the work along with its sister work Titian's
Diana and Callisto, also valued at £50 million, although they have hung on loan in the National Gallery in Edinburgh since the Second World War. Diana and Acteon would be shared between the galleries in London and Edinburgh.

The National Heritage Memorial Fund has contributed £10 million towards the purchase price, while money from private donors and the two galleries would take the total to about £40 million.

This leaves open the question of what the UK government will bring to the table. While the Scottish Government has been clear from the start it was prepared to back the purchase, Downing Street and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport have been less emphatic.

Observers are curious to know whether wealthy celebrity artists who publicly supported the campaign – including Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst – are backing their words with significant contributions.







Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 14 December 2008 10:08 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Guga II,

Rockall 15/12/2008 01:37:00
#2.

A prize idiot.
2

Warden An' All, Reborn,

15/12/2008 09:25:35
Recession is taking the food away from the poor and vulnerable and what do the self serving snp do- give a £10million handout so the poor and vulnerable might go and view it from time to time, depending if it is in Scotland at the time or not- tartan tories all over.
3

Miss Dee,

Tayside 15/12/2008 09:34:24
There goes all the money we're going to save by putting people on benefits back to work! Good job guys.
4

,

15/12/2008 09:40:02
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
5

It's life but not as we know it,

The Oort Clouds 15/12/2008 10:06:51
Stuff the bleeding painting, we've all got bigger problems right now.
6

Warden An' All, Reborn,

15/12/2008 12:22:42
8-Moffat's Mangy Murkin-Are we really saving culture by wasting money on it?
That selling it off for cash haven’t stipulated the buyer has to be british, or the art work has to show here.
Are you saying we don’t have any other cultural pieces of art in stock for when the piece would be showing in London?
7

The Tin Man,

15/12/2008 12:56:19
Here's what we get for the money:

http://www.abcgallery.com/T/titian/titian73.html

You will be feeling better about it, now.

Definately one of his better paintings - girls not as fat as usual, although breasts could be larger.
8

salmondella,

Uk 15/12/2008 13:15:42
Is this the actions of a Government that claims to be "left of centre"? Culture is important - but only AFTER you have dealt with the basics of life, such as eradicating poverty, poor health, violent crime and poor education.
9

Observer. 1,

Glasgow 15/12/2008 13:33:51
Sends out the wrong message at the wrong time. You can't eat culture and it doesn't pay the bills. And why should we be subsidising a rotten old Duke anyway.
10

,

15/12/2008 17:37:39
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
11

Newton_Invented_Gravity,

15/12/2008 19:44:57
Saving this painting for the nation is far more important than feeding hungry people. I'd be quite happy for some people to starve to death if it would enable this painting to remain in Edinburgh. The real tragedy is that we are only going to have a part share in it.
12

Observer. 1,

Glasgow 15/12/2008 20:15:30
There are a gazillion works of art available for the public to view in Scotland. Kelvingrove has got half it's works in storage. No one is going to be culturally starved by the loss of two paintings, which some people are very attached too. I'd say the same if it was the Dali from Glasgow - although that would be saved by the public. If you want to keep these paintings set up a fund and do it. It is not the business of Government in these circumstances to intervene.

 

Comment on this Story

 

In order to post comments you must Register or Sign In

 
 
RSS Feed of this article's comments
Delivery formats: RSS, Atom, Javascript & Email
 
  

 
 


Sister Newspapers:
Press Complaints Commission

This website and its associated newspaper adheres to the Press Complaints Commission’s Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then contact the Editor by clicking here.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response provided then you can contact the PCC by clicking here.