Museum acquisitions

Museums often acquire works through donations but, in spite of funding constraints, they also make purchases to expand their collections, either bidding at auctions, negotiating private treaty sales or, in the UK, via the Acceptance in Lieu scheme.


Triptych

Museum launches funding plea to keep rediscovered 15th century almshouse triptych in Dorset  

25 November 2025

A 15th century Flemish devotional triptych discovered in an almshouse in Dorset is to be offered at auction next month with an estimate of £2.5m-3.5m.

Roman glass jar

London dealers sell antique and ancient glass to US museum

12 November 2025

Art and antiquities dealers Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch have sold two glass items to a US museum.

His Masters Voice

Huguenot Museum buys 12ft reproduction of His Masters Voice

06 November 2025

An enlarged copy of the original ‘His Masters Voice’ picture by Francis Barraud (1856-1924) is now on display at a museum in Rochester.

Greek ring

Getty Museum reveals latest purchases including £100,000 ancient Greek ring

31 October 2025

The J Paul Getty Museum has purchased a Hellenistic gold box-bezel ring, describing it as “one of the finest and best-preserved surviving examples of this ancient jewellery type”.

Woodblock

‘Lost’ Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood woodblocks saved for the nation after emerging for sale on eBay

29 October 2025

A group of woodblocks from artists Eric Ravilious and Tirzah Garwood that had been missing for 72 years has been recovered and purchased by two museums.

Waterloo bandsman

Identity of mystery Battle of Waterloo black bandsman revealed

21 October 2025

The identity of the mystery sitter in a portrait sold at a Sussex auction, who was depicted in the uniform of a cavalry regiment and wearing a Waterloo Medal, has now been revealed by the National Army Museum.

Gold pendant

British Museum launches fundraising plea to buy £3.5m 'Tudor Heart' pendant

15 October 2025

The British Museum is trying to raise funds to buy a gold pendant discovered by a metal detectorist in a field in Warwickshire in 2019.

Alms dish

Museum successful in bid to secure Russell alms dish

13 October 2025

The Gordon Russell Design Museum in Broadway, Worcestershire ran a successful campaign to purchase a Lygon brass alms dish by the English designer and craftsman that came to auction in West Sussex last week.

Tea Production Paintings

Museum purchases exceptional record of tea production from Asian art dealer

13 October 2025

Asian works of art specialist Alastair Gibson has recently completed the sale by private treaty of a set of Qianlong gouache scenes depicting tea cultivation and production.

Brass dish

Cotswolds design museum launches fundraising appeal to buy Gordon Russell dish

08 October 2025

The Gordon Russell Design Museum in Broadway, Worcestershire is fundraising ahead of an auction.

Edward VI portrait

Edward VI portrait goes on view at Hampton Court Palace after selling at Roseberys

01 October 2025

A portrait of King Edward VI that sold at a Roseberys auction earlier this year has gone on public display at Hampton Court Palace.

Flowers in a Jar by Duncan Grant and George Bergen

Charleston buys collaborative Bloomsbury Group painting at Gorringe’s

22 September 2025

A rare collaborative work by Duncan Grant (1885-1978) and his lover, the Russian-American artist George Bergen (1903-84), has sold at auction to Charleston, the East Sussex farmhouse where the painting was created.

William Burges jade bowl

Burges jade bowl revealed as Bedford museum purchase from Scottish auction

15 September 2025

The long journey through private collections, auctions and dealerships taken by a William Burges (1827-81) jade bowl has ended at a museum and art gallery in Bedford, it has emerged.

Bust of Gaston d'Orléans

French royal château launches campaign to buy rediscovered sculpture

15 September 2025

The Château Royal de Blois in France has launched a fundraising campaign to buy a terracotta bust of Louix XIII's brother Gaston d'Orléans.

Gainsborough Dupont sketches

British Museum buys pair of Gainsborough Dupont sketches from dealer Karen Taylor

08 September 2025

Art dealer Karen Taylor has sold two oil sketches by Gainsborough Dupont (1754-97) to the British Museum.

img_45-1.jpg

Barye bronze bounces back to US museum

08 September 2025

An 1843 cast of Antoine-Louise Barye’s (1795-1875) celebrated bronze Theseus Battling the Minotaur has returned to the museum that displayed the work for the last 18 years.

Portrait of Joanna Leigh

National Trust acquires two Joshua Reynolds paintings in £24.5m tax deal

04 September 2025

Two key paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92) have been acquired by the National Trust from the Rothschild collection.

Léon Spilliaert self-portrait

Belgian symbolist portrait shown at TEFAF acquired by Art Institute of Chicago

26 August 2025

A self-portrait by Belgian artist Léon Spilliaert (1881-1946) featured on the stand of David Lévy at TEFAF Maastricht earlier this year has been acquired by the Art Institute of Chicago.

Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture

Yorkshire museum to buy Barbara Hepworth sculpture after fundraising plea

19 August 2025

The Hepworth Wakefield and Art Fund have successfully raised £3.8m after a public appeal to save Barbara Hepworth’s 'Sculpture with Colour (Oval Form) Pale Blue and Red'.

Needlework sampler display

Latest Arts Council annual report reveals six objects saved for the nation

25 July 2025

Half a dozen artworks were saved for the nation in the past year and are on display at museums across the UK.

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