Latest news with #GabrieleFinaldi
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Research confirms that Samson and Delilah is a Rubens
Re your report (A £2.5m dud? Fresh doubt cast on authenticity of National Gallery Rubens, 15 June), I'd like to draw readers' attention to the recent publication of detailed art-historical and technical research on the National Gallery's website confirming the attribution of Samson and Delilah to Peter Paul Rubens. This extensive study, conducted by our curatorial and scientific teams using the latest imaging and analytical techniques, provides compelling evidence in support of the painting's authorship. It offers transparency around our research process and contributes meaningfully to the wider field of art-historical scholarship. Given the interest and debate this painting has attracted over the years, we hope this publication will be of value to scholars and the public FinaldiDirector, the National Gallery Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Times
12-06-2025
- General
- Times
The National Gallery, a Renaissance painting — and one very angry donor
Only last month the National Gallery and its director, Gabriele Finaldi, were basking in praise when the £85 million rebuild and rehang of the Sainsbury Wing was unveiled during the gallery's 200th anniversary year. The critics, including our own Nancy Durrant, were particularly impressed that Finaldi had managed to get more than 1,000 paintings on public display — 400 more than before the redesign. Unknown to critics and public, however, Finaldi is embroiled in an awkward dispute about an Italian Renaissance painting that isn't on display anywhere in the gallery but, its donor says, should be. The row raises wider questions about whether potential donors of artworks can trust our public museums and galleries to carry out their wishes. The work is Christ Carrying the Cross, attributed to the workshop of the 15th-century Venetian painter Giovanni Bellini. It's not a masterpiece but it is an intense image of an anguished Christ, donated to the National Gallery in April 2015 by the London art dealer Angus Neill. At the time the gallery described it as 'the first Venetian example of one of the most important genres of private devotional painting in Renaissance Italy'. Neill, 56, suggests that if offered at auction today it would raise between £3 million and £5 million. Neill says he didn't even claim the tax relief he could have done by donating an artwork to the nation — 'As a good Catholic I didn't want to make money from Christ,' he says. His sole motive, he asserts, was to get a rare Renaissance painting on public display for the first time. To that end he attached a stipulation to his gift. He obtained an assurance that the painting would be 'on permanent public display' or 'readily accessible as part of its reserve collection'. Neill says that he took the latter clause to mean 'not simply a storage facility but a dedicated gallery in the basement where important paintings — when not on display upstairs — were still available for everyone to see'. For the first few months, when the National Gallery was still under the leadership of Nicholas Penny, that pledge was honoured and the painting was on display in the main galleries. But after Finaldi arrived in August 2015, Christ Carrying the Cross was less often on view and subsequently disappeared altogether. Neill wrote to Finaldi in October 2023 asking why and Finaldi replied that, because of the Sainsbury Wing's temporary closure, far fewer paintings were on display. However, he continued, 'I suspect [ Christ Carrying the Cross ] will certainly be on display when we undertake the general rehang in 2025 when the Sainsbury Wing reopens.' • Imagine Neill's feelings, then, when the reopening happened and his donated painting wasn't there. Actually, you don't have to imagine, because Neill condensed his views into a trenchant email to the gallery. Pointing out that it now had 'ample wall space' to display the painting, he claimed that its continued absence 'does not align with the spirit of our original agreement'. He went on to 'request formally the return of the original artwork' so that he could donate it to another UK gallery that would put it on public display. Finaldi replied that he 'regretted' giving the impression that it was 'all but certain' that the painting would go back on display after the reopening. 'I should have been more circumspect,' he admits. His present Italian Renaissance curators were not as keen on displaying it, he said, as their predecessors in 2015. However, he continued, there was no question of giving back the painting to Neill. 'Because it now belongs to the nation it cannot be returned to the donor. As I'm sure you know, the National Gallery is not permitted by statute to divest itself of an accessioned work. Even if we wanted to agree to your request, we cannot do so.' So an impasse has been reached. When approached by The Times the National Gallery pointed out that the painting 'has been on public display for more than five out of the last ten years' since it was donated. 'Although it is not currently on display,' the gallery says, 'it has and will continue to serve the purposes of study, occasional showing in the gallery, potential loan and constant availability by appointment.' Neill rejects this compromise. 'I donated it for the world to enjoy, not for it to gather dust on a rack,' he says. 'Realistically, only a handful of scholars would ever go through the process of booking a private viewing.' • The National Gallery rehang review — a radical journey through art Clearly the message this affair sends to other potential donors is far from ideal. Even if you are assured at the time that your gift will go on 'permanent public display', a future gallery director could put it into storage. And because the law forbids national museums and galleries from 'deaccessioning' anything in their collections, the donated artwork cannot then be reclaimed or reallocated. Or is that the case? Neill argues that 'the spirit' of the original conditions under which he donated Christ Carrying the Cross has been breached and is contemplating legal action. Either way, it's surely time that Britain's national museums and galleries were allowed, in some exceptional circumstances, to deaccession some items (as America's galleries can do), not least to provide funds and display space for new acquisitions. Indeed, it's hard to see how the campaign to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece (which seems to be gathering steam yet again) can succeed unless the British Museum finds a legal way to overturn the deaccessioning ban. Whatever happens to Christ Carrying the Cross, though, Neill clearly feels he has been badly let down by the National Gallery, to the extent that his philanthropy will be directed elsewhere in future. 'My entire estate will now be bequeathed to the Wallace Collection, rather than the National Gallery under my previous will,' he says. 'I am not Mr Getty but every penny counts — in this case £3 million. Clearly that's now considered small change by Finaldi and his board.'
Times of Oman
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times of Oman
How museums foster global connections, build cultural bridges
London: On Sunday's 2025 International Museum Day -- under the theme "The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities" -- British museums are transforming and rethinking their engagement with global audiences. Established by the International Council of Museums, the event highlights the role of museums as platforms for cultural exchange, shared heritage enrichment, and the promotion of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace. Museums are increasingly seen as neutral, inclusive spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can come together through history, art and shared experiences, staff at leading British museums told Xinhua in recent interviews. Sir Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery since 2015, has led the gallery through significant transformations as it marked its 200th anniversary last year. Under his leadership, the National Gallery has expanded its digital presence, including launching a modern website and digitizing its collection with interactive features like virtual tours. "People's interest in museums has only grown," Finaldi said. "Museums have been quick to embrace technology, but at the same time, they maintain their traditional role as custodians of important collections." Amid the rise of digital exhibitions and new technologies, the physical experience of engaging with authentic artifacts remains essential. Jessica Harrison-Hall, keeper of Asia at the British Museum, emphasized the importance of tangible experiences: "Younger generations are seeing the importance of encountering things that are real and historic, and that sort of encounter is life-changing for many." She believes museums continue to resonate in today's fast-paced world. "The ability to connect with contemporary audiences while preserving and innovating is what gives museums their resilience," she said. Li Xiaoxin, curator at the Asia Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), is focused on bridging Chinese craftsmanship and British culture. As part of this effort, she invited Gyre Craft, a craft knowledge-sharing platform, to host a forum on British and Chinese craft cities during London Craft Week. Li is also curating an exhibition which is set to open in late October and aims to highlight contemporary Chinese studio crafts. "I want to help the international audience understand that China is not just about antique porcelain or traditional crafts; there are more open and diverse aspects of Chinese culture," she said. Since joining the V&A in 2018, Li has found curation to be a platform for creative expression. Curating and talking about Chinese artifacts is both challenging and rewarding, as each piece tells a unique story, she said. Museum professionals agree that every visitor engages differently and that embracing the diversity is crucial. "Museums are places where we focus on similarities rather than differences," said Finaldi. "Understanding each other's cultures better is key to building connections." He noted that the National Gallery's collection tells universal stories that transcend national boundaries: "These are things that, in a sense, bring us all together." Harrison-Hall echoed this sentiment: "Museums are for everyone, offering multiple ways to engage. The most fascinating discoveries often happen by chance while exploring." She noted that museum culture in China has diversified significantly, moving beyond large provincial museums to a wide range of cultural spaces, attracting more visitors than ever before. "It's absolutely fantastic to see this transformation," she said.
