Museums and Institutions

Maderno sculpture

'One of the greatest 17th century Italian bronzes' bought by Texas museum from London art dealer

04 September 2026

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas has acquired a bronze sculpture by Stefano Maderno (c.1571-1636) from art dealer Patricia Wengraf.

Portrait miniature of Anne Lefroy

Jane Austen’s House buys portrait miniature of writer’s friend and mentor at auction

21 August 2026

A portrait miniature of Anne Lefroy, a writer who was close friends and a mentor of Jane Austen, has been acquired by Jane Austen’s House in Chawton, Hampshire.

Union flag

Collingwood Trafalgar flag comes ‘home’ to the north-east after successful fundraising

14 August 2026

North East Museums (NEM) has acquired a Union Flag that was flown from HMS Royal Sovereign, flagship of Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805, after it was barred from export.

Triqueti Campbell Medallion

Oxfordshire country house buys Triqueti portrait sculpture of a scandalous Victorian heiress after successful fundraising campaign

31 July 2026

A rare portrait sculpture of a scandalous Victorian heiress that sold at auction has been acquired by Buscot Park following a temporary export bar.

Paul Sarrut drawing

Auction buys and dealer purchases help army museum to stage Indian soldier show

10 July 2026

The National Army Museum’s exhibition, Drawn on the Western Front, showcases a series of recent works on paper acquisitions as well as its new medals partnership with Lord Ashcroft.

Thomas Gainsborough's landscape with donkeys

Fitzwilliam Museum buys early Thomas Gainsborough drawing at auction

10 July 2026

A drawing from the early part of Thomas Gainsborough's (1727-88) career, dating from 1748 when the artist was 20 years old, sold to the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cheffins' latest fine art sale.

Lalique Museum

Plea for the return of 27 jewels stolen from The Lalique Museum in France

09 July 2026

Thieves broke into The Lalique Museum in the early hours of July 5 and stole 27 items of jewellery valued in the region of €4.5m.

Hand axe

Plea to UK museums to raise funds to keep Palaeolithic handaxes in the country

07 July 2026

Two 500,000-year-old flint handaxes discovered in Norfolk have been blocked from export in the hope a UK institution can raise the funds to keep them in the country.

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Wall to wall coverage: 29 upcoming museum shows

19 June 2026

Exhibitions both big and small await art and antiques lovers when they head out to museums this summer

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Why Winston Churchill’s paintings have been snubbed by critics but celebrated by the art trade

19 June 2026

The art produced by the British wartime prime minister was sniffed at and snubbed by critics for many years while being welcomed by dealers and auctioneers. But a new exhibition at The Wallace Collection underlines how his paintings are gradually gaining a serious status

Portrait of Pierre Louis Alexandre

Dealer Charles Ede sells portrait of black sitter by woman artist to Canadian museum

12 June 2026

One of only two known portraits of a black sitter by a woman artist in the late 19th century has been acquired by a Canadian museum from a London dealer.

Wrest Park

Appeal for information on lost Frederic Leighton portraits from stately home

22 May 2026

English Heritage has launched an appeal to help find three portraits by artist Frederic Leighton (1839-96) once on display at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire.

Curwen Studio

Rarely seen Mod Brit print archive to be freely available online following funding boost

13 May 2026

A rarely seen print archive featuring work by Mod Brit art greats including Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink, Paula Rego, Ceri Richards and John Piper will soon be available freely online.

Portrait of John Ystumllyn

Garden Museum launches fundraising plea to buy portrait of one of the earliest recorded black gardeners in Britain

07 May 2026

Lambeth’s Garden Museum is hoping to raise £420,000 to purchase a portrait of the gardener and plantsman John Ystumllyn (1736-86/88), one of the earliest recorded black gardeners in Britain.

Lord Harley’s Bloody Shouldered Arabian 

Newmarket museum acquires three large equine portraits via tax scheme

29 April 2026

Three large horse portraits by the British artist John Wootton (1682-1764) will be on display at The National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket following an allocation from Arts Council’s Acceptance in Lieu scheme.

Renaissance tapestry

Monumental 16th century Italian tapestry to be restored thanks to TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund

29 April 2026

A huge wool and silk tapestry titled The Meeting of Dante and Virgil and dated to 1546-49 will be restored with funding from The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) Museum Restoration Fund.

French sciatère designed by Jean Sarrazin

New French museum buys 17th century scientific instruments at auction

15 April 2026

A new museum currently under construction just outside Paris has made two purchases at Hôtel Drouot this month.

‘Broadhembury’ ring

Tudor metal-detecting discovery to head to Devon museum with help of London dealer

14 April 2026

A Devon museum is in discussion with a jewellery dealer for the loan of a Tudor ring discovered by a metal-detectorist.

James and John Bly.

Exhibition celebrating John Bly at 135 years old and 300 years since Benjamin Franklin first appeared in London

10 April 2026

Antiques dealership John Bly is celebrating its 135th year in business with an exhibition.

Photography album

The Bodleian Libraries buys unseen works by photographic greats Lee Miller and Sir Cecil Beaton

09 April 2026

A ‘scrapbook’ of photographs put together by Roland Haupt, a darkroom assistant in the London office of Vogue magazine, has been sold to The Bodleian Libraries by dealer Michael Hoppen Gallery.

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