: The National Gallery and The Duke of Northumberland are delighted
to announce they have reached a private treaty sales agreement
for a Raphael painting that will ultimately allow the painting to
remain in England.
The National Gallery will pay $41.5 million for Raphael's
Sixteenth Century "Madonna and Child" - known as "the Madonna of
the Pinks" - from the Duke of Northumberland, who earlier had
planned to sell it to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
In the 13 years "The Madonna of the Pinks" has been on loan from
Alnwick Castle to the National Gallery it has developed iconic
status and earned the affection of thousands of art lovers from
all over the world. "The Madonna of the Pinks" (or Madonna dei
Garofani) is an oil on fruitwood panel that measures 11.4 by 9
inches.
The picture depicts a youthful Virgin delighting in playing with
her infant son, who is seated on a cushion in her lap. The
child's attention has been caught - his animated wriggling
momentarily arrested - by the delicate pink flowers she holds,
the pinks by which the painting became known. This exquisite
painting was probably painted around 1506-07, at a time when
Raphael was most influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, whose works he
encountered in Florence. The composition is based on Leonardo's
'Benois Madonna.'
From the mid-Nineteenth Century onwards, there was speculation
regarding the painting's authenticity. Dr Nicholas Penny (then
Clore Curator of Italian Renaissance Paintings at the National
Gallery), saw the painting first at Alnwick Castle in 1991 and
with the Duke's permission brought it to the National Gallery for
further investigation. Infra-red reflectography revealed
underdrawing entirely characteristic of Raphael and its
authenticity was affirmed by all leading Raphael scholars. This
attribution was verified at a symposium of the world's leading
Raphael scholars held at the National Gallery in October 2002.
A sale of the picture to the Getty Museum was agreed at a price
equivalent to $63 million, subject to the provision of an export
license, however, since the Getty Museum withdrew its export
license application, the picture was sold to the National
Gallery.
The National Gallery received support for the purchase of
approximately $21 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund and
approximately $750,000 from the National Art Collection Fund,
together with support from the American Friends of the National
Gallery, London, and many thousands of donations, large and
small, from members of the public.
"The National Gallery and the Duke of Northumberland are
absolutely delighted that this extraordinarily beautiful, small
painting is now going to stay in this country," Charles Saumarez
Smith, director of the National Gallery, "It helps to illuminate
the early phase of Raphael's career and ensures that a picture of
exceptional tenderness remains to be enjoyed and appreciated both
on tour and as part of the National Gallery's great collection."
As part of the National Gallery's commitment to ensure that the
Raphael is seen by as many people as possible, and as agreed with
the Heritage Lottery Fund, the painting will tour the country
extensively. The painting will then return to London to be
featured in the National Gallery's major Raphael exhibition,
which opens in October.
Henry Wyndham, Chairman of Sotheby's Europe, negotiated the deal
on behalf of the Duke.
