Museum acquisitions

The National Gallery is to acquire a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) with the help of charitable donations and advice from Christie’s.

A dozen items deemed national treasures were bought by institutions between May 2018 and April 2020 with a value of £7.6m, according to the latest report.

France’s Ministry of Culture announced the acquisition by the state of the ‘120 days of Sodom’ by the Marquis de Sade and a number of other manuscripts.

Sotheby’s has delayed the sale of a library collection related to the Brontë family to give a chance for institutions to raise funds to buy it.

A 16th century manuscript has been bought by The National Libraries of Scotland at auction.

Archive papers and personal objects belonging to the late Professor Stephen Hawking (1944-2018) have been acquired by two institutions.

The National Gallery in London and Birmingham’s Barber Institute of Fine Arts will both benefit from the acquisition of a portrait by German artist Lovis Corinth (1858-1925).

The National Gallery has taken ownership of a portrait by Isaack Luttichuys (1616-73), the first work by the artist to enter a British public collection.

The J Paul Getty Museum has acquired a work by Artemisia Gentileschi (1593- c.1654) that had previously sold for a record auction price in 2019.

A portrait of the 'mother of modern British ballet’ will go on public display this autumn after dance enthusiasts rallied round to bid at auction.

Artefacts found buried in the ground by metal detectors across the UK has yet again increased Treasure finds allowing museums to boost their collections.

A wax seal matrix bought at auction by National Museums Scotland has revealed how James V of Scotland (1512-42) treated one of his illegitimate sons.

A group of rare portrait miniatures has been gifted to the Warwickshire art gallery and country house Compton Verney.