The UK annual report on art exports reveals only 1% of artworks with deferred export licenses were acquired by museums in 2024-25. This marks a significant decline from 44% the previous year. Important items saved include Alan Turing's notebooks, valued at £398,000, acquired by King's College, and a bird history series sold for £127,000 to the University of Manchester. The total value of saved artworks amounted to £586,000, indicating challenges faced by UK museums. High-value items for which no offers were made included a Louis XIV table worth £7.5 million and paintings by Watteau worth £6 million.
The UK has seen a drastic drop in the acquisition of artworks by museums, with only 1% of items with deferred export licenses saved in 2024-25.
Significant items saved include Alan Turing's WW2 notebooks, valued at £398,000, and a copy of a bird history series sold to the University of Manchester.
The total value of saved works in the latest report reached £586,000, highlighting the challenges faced by museums in acquiring high-value art.
Export licenses were issued for high-value artworks not purchased, including a Louis XIV table top worth £7.5 million and paintings by Watteau worth £6 million.
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