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.
Ulster Museum acquires 16th century Nativity scene
05 January 2023An Italian Nativity scene has been saved for the nation after it was blocked from export by the government.
Herschel museum buys manuscript memoir
02 January 2023Two Herschel family-related historic items – a Royal Society King’s medal and a manuscript memoir – have changed hands at auction and in a private sale.
Piper and Bawden murals to the manor borne: Rothschild Foundation buys artworks for National Trust's Waddesdon
19 December 2022Two large-scale murals by leading Modern British artists have been purchased by The Rothschild Foundation from dealer Liss Llewellyn.
Four Derby winners reunited after museum’s auction success
19 December 2022A set of four miniature oil paintings depicting Derby-winning racehorses belonging to John Bowes (1811-85), co-founder of The Bowes Museum, has been reunited after being bought at auction.
Tissot’s iconic portrait saved for the nation with funding from sitter’s descendants
08 December 2022A portrait of art dealer Algernon Moses Marsden (1847–1920) by Jacques Joseph Tissot (1836–1902) has been purchased for the National Portrait Gallery and the National Gallery with funding from descendants of Marsden.
Rare Wedgwood Art Deco tea set and drawings by French designer Paul Follot bought by V&A
10 November 2022A Wedgwood Art Deco tea and coffee set and the original design drawings by Paul Follot (1877-1941) have been bought by the Victoria and Albert Museum and put on display at the World of Wedgwood museum in Stoke-on-Trent.
Portrait miniatures collecting can start small
07 November 2022How can an enthusiast create a museum-quality collection without vast sums of money?
Anglo-Saxon hoard bought by Kent Archaeological Society ahead of London auction
27 October 2022A large group of c.6-7th century Anglo-Saxon artefacts, known as the Ozengell Hoard, have been bought by Kent Archaeological Society.
Walpole’s cat-killing fish bowl returns to Strawberry Hill
24 October 2022A Chinese jardiniere once used as a fish bowl by Horace Walpole (1717-97) is to return to his Strawberry Hill home.
Pick of the week: American who fought against independence
17 October 2022While many US museums display portraits of famous Patriots from the War of Independence, especially the likes of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Nathanael Greene, pictures of Loyalists are less common in their collections.
Rare copy of Jane Austen’s Emma to go on display in the UK after US buyer agrees loan deal via book dealer
06 October 2022A rare copy of Jane Austen’s Emma will go on display at Chawton House, the former home of the novelist’s brother, after an arrangement was agreed with the US buyer of the book and dealer Peter Harrington.
Bath astronomy museum to raise £108,000 to buy manuscript via Christie’s private sale
28 September 2022The Herschel Museum of Astronomy in Bath has launched a fundraising campaign to buy a Caroline Herschel memoir.
BADA Friends supports contemporary museum acquisition
16 August 2022The Friends of the BADA has given £500 to support the Bethlem Museum of the Mind in the acquisition of a new work.
National Trust snaps up Castlereagh’s silver inkstand ahead of exhibition
11 August 2022The National Trust has acquired a silver inkstand used by Viscount Castlereagh (1769-1822), the Anglo-Irish politician and statesman.
National Gallery acquires two paintings via government tax scheme
09 August 2022Two Italian pictures have joined the National Gallery’s collection via the government’s inheritance tax scheme.
Museums make 300 new purchases thanks to Art Fund
27 June 2022Close to 300 objects and works of art found permanent homes in UK museums and galleries thanks to contributions from the Art Fund charity, a new report reveals.
Ceramics dealer E&H Manners buys Nicholas Sprimont portrait again – this time for the V&A
13 June 2022A historically significant portrait of Nicholas Sprimont (1716-71) is set to stay in the UK after dealer Errol Manners sold it for the second time in his career – this time to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Mary, Queen of Scots silver casket sold to Scottish museum for £1.8m
24 May 2022A casket believed to have once belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots has been bought by the National Museum of Scotland with help from donors and art funds.
Derby museum brings Wright of Derby painting ‘home’
16 May 2022A Wright of Derby (1734-97) self-portrait, in private hands for 250 years, has been bought by Derby Museum and Art Gallery with the help of donations and a government tax scheme.
Princeton University Art Museum revealed as buyer of picture by female Pre-Raphaelite artist
05 May 2022A work by Rebecca Solomon (1832-86) offered at Sotheby’s was bought by The Princeton University Art Museum.
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