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"Omai" Fate Undecided

The fate of Joshua Reynolds' Omai remains up in the air. The export bar on the £50 million painting, sought by the National Portrait Gallery, London, expired March 10. A planned announcement from the NPG on Mar. 13 apparently never happened. The British press, which had been speculating on a joint acquisition with the Getty Museum, has gone silent. U.K. blogger Neil Jeffares wrote,

"Apparently now the deadline for donations has been extended to 11 April https://artfund.org/pages/help-save-joshua-reynolds-portrait-of-omai, although I can find no further confirmation on the Arts Council, NPG, DCMS or Artfund websites. This is bizarre given how much public interest there is. And once again it reinforces the idea that the rules are made up as we go along…"
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Ted Gallagher NYC said…
If the Brits are looking for some philanthropist to come forward and save the day, there's little historical support for that among the British elite, who all cry they're poor Cinderellas. So I wouldn't expect to see any glass slipper coming.
"Omai" better stock up on his sunscreen.
Maybe some American can poach it for the Yale Center! Hope springs eternal.
March 14, 2023 at 8:43 AM
Anonymous said…
After plundering for generations the artistic-creative wealth of other nations and societies, today's UK should stop being so graspy.

Beyond that, something about both the English language (eg, the US) and British culture/economy has admittedly nurtured for centuries a lot of artistic talent and creative ingenuity. From a Charles Dickens to a JK Rowling, etc.
March 14, 2023 at 11:24 AM
Anonymous said…
Just let the Getty purchase it geez. As long as it's no longer in private hands, why does it matter? The UK already has a plethora of amazing museums that display its country's history. The painting will be more appreciated in LA than in the UK, where it will just sit in storage for decades ignored by anyone who's not a researcher. At least in LA, the artwork will most likely always be on display and inform Americans of British heritage.
March 14, 2023 at 3:09 PM
Anonymous said…
Beyond that, something about both the English language (eg, the US) and British culture/economy has admittedly nurtured for centuries a lot of artistic talent and creative ingenuity. From a Charles Dickens to a JK Rowling, etc.

The Brits have a magnificent history of producing great literary artists. Painters? Not so much. And no where near what the US has produced in a much shorter history of existence.
March 15, 2023 at 2:13 PM
Ted Gallagher NYC said…
Re "The Brits have a magnificent history of producing great literary artists. Painters? Not so much. And no where near what the US has produced in a much shorter history of existence.":

Agreed. Although Constable and Turner do amaze and astound.
Still, things might have been far worse if foreigners hadn't traveled to and worked there, Rubens and van Dyck chief among them.
And some American masters, like Thomas Cole, for example, were English-born.
March 15, 2023 at 7:31 PM
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