UK NEWS

SECRET DEAL SEALS FUTURE OF PAINTINGS

Diana and Actaeon

Monday September 1,2008

By Brian Swanson

One of Scotland’s wealthiest landowners will receive millions in public funds for the sale of two Titian masterpieces in a secret deal.

The Scottish Government has agreed to save the two artworks for the nation by pledging the £50million required by the Duke of Sutherland for the first of two paintings.

The Duke, owner of the Bridge-water collection of 28 Old Masters that have hung in the National Galleries in Scotland and London for 60 years, has decided to sell paintings from a collection now valued at more than £1billion.

The galleries have effectively been given first refusal on two works.

In partnership with the National Gallery in London, the National Galleries of Scotland have until December 31 to secure £50million to buy one painting by the Renaissance master, and another for a similar sum four years later.

But now, it seems that the paintings have been saved for the nation.

The gallery, the Duke and everyone concerned would not want to see these paintings split up

A spokesman for the Duke

John Leighton, director general of the National Galleries of Scotland, confirmed that the Scottish Parliament had already made a “significant and concrete” pledge to contribute towards the first purchase.

He said: “It’s been an ongoing process and we have been in discussion with the governments from an early stage.”

Although the campaign to buy the two Titians was only announced last week, secret negotiations have been ongoing between the Duke and the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery in London for a year.

It is believed that the negotiations included a “firm understanding” that the two paintings Diana and Actaeon and Diana and Callisto– believed to be worth £300million on the private market – should remain together.

They were originally painted as a pair 450 years ago and have never been split up.

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that negotiations across government departments were ongoing.

A spokesman for the Duke said: “The gallery, the Duke and everyone concerned would not want to see these paintings split up.”