Museum acquisitions

With 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).

The 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.

A self-portrait by artist George Frederic Watts (1817-1904) has been acquired by Watts Gallery in Compton, near Guildford.

The National Gallery has acquired 'Eucharist' (c.1637-40), a depiction of the Last Supper, by Nicolas Poussin (1594–1664).

Several pictures and one leatherwork portrait have recently gone to institutions in the US and France.

A self-portrait by Sarah Biffin (c.1784-1850) bought by the Museum of Somerset has recently gone on display.

A rare autograph manuscript by composer Johann Sebastian Bach has been acquired by the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries.

An impressive group of Anglo-Saxon pennies, found by metal detectorists near Braintree in Essex, will be offered in separate lots at Noonans.

The Bayeux Museum in France has bought a life-size Victorian replica of the Bayeux tapestry from the Charlie Watts sale.

The Louvre Museum has used its pre-emption right to successfully secure a 19th century cast of the Vénus de Milo at Artcurial.

The latest annual Cultural Gifts Scheme and Acceptance in Lieu Annual Report has been published detailing the artworks and objects that will go on show to the public.

The Getty Museum has announced the acquisition of three Old Masters which were all bought this year from separate European sources.

A new publication by Art Fund and Arts Council England seeks to raise awareness about how owners of art and antiques can donate to institutions.

A New Testament bible formerly owned by the French King Jean II but believed to have been in the UK for more than 600 years has been temporarily barred from export.

A medieval panel discovered above a stove in a kitchen in France has been bought by The Louvre Museum.

A previously lost tapestry, commissioned by Henry VIII during the turmoil of the English Reformation, is a step closer to returning to the UK.

A ceramics dealer is among those supporting a major exhibition showcasing women artists this winter.